European cities hit by anti-austerity protests

Thousands of protesters from across Europe are taking part in a mass demonstration in Brussels against spending cuts by some EU governments.

Other protests against austerity measures are being held in Greece, Italy, Ireland and Latvia.

A general strike is also taking place in Spain, hitting transport and other public services.

Trade unions say EU workers may become the biggest victims of a financial crisis set off by bankers and traders.

* EU austerity drive country by country
* Food price rises are growing concern
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Many governments across the 27-member bloc have imposed punishing cuts in wages, pensions and employment to deal with spiralling debts.

In Greece and the Republic of Ireland unemployment figures are at their highest level in 10 years, while Spain's unemployment has doubled in just three years.

In Britain the government is planning to slash spending by up to 25% in some areas, while France has seen angry protests against a planned increase in the minimum retirement age.

The European Trade Union Confederation (Etuc) said it hoped that about 100,000 people would march on EU institution buildings in the Belgian capital.

As the march got under way under a sea of banners, police sealed off the EU headquarters and barricaded banks and shops.
Cuts anger

The protest in Brussels has been described by unions as a day of action under the slogan "No to austerity, priority to jobs and growth".

Labour unions in Spain began a general strike by marching through the capital, Madrid, in an effort to shut down the city.
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“Start Quote

We didn't cause this crisis. The bill has to be paid by banks, not by workers"”

End Quote European Trade Union Confederation



Also in the capital, there were mass protests outside bus and metro stations, and few buses were running. Many high-speed trains were cancelled, and only about a quarter of commuter trains were running.

Groups of strikers have been seen in Madrid going into shops and banks trying to force them to close.

The airline Iberia said it expected to operate only 35% of scheduled flights, and there were also protests in Barcelona.

In Ireland, a man drove a cement mixer covered with anti-bank slogans into the gates of the parliament in Dublin, in an apparent protest at the country's expensive bank bailout.

Etuc says the protesters are marching to voice their anger over budget-slashing plans and cuts which "could lead Europe into a recession".

The union warns that the financial crisis - which it describes as the worst in Europe since the 1930s - has already made 23m people across the EU jobless. It fears that the austerity measures being implemented by various EU governments could "result in even more unemployment".
A woman stands in front of a closed shop in Madrid, Spain, on 29 September, 2010. Strikers held a protest in central Madrid, prompting some shops to close

"We didn't cause this crisis. The bill has to be paid by banks, not by workers," Etuc said.

Instead, the organisation urges governments to guarantee workers stable jobs, strong social protection and better pensions.

Workers in many EU countries are frustrated that they are paying for the mistakes of the banks and the financial sector, the BBC's Christian Fraser in Brussels reports.

The recovery is still fragile. In some countries it has not even begun, and many fear the cuts could provoke further trouble, our correspondent says.

He adds that in short, it is a debate on austerity versus stimulus, cuts or spending, and the opinions are deeply and bitterly divided.