Workers from many EU countries today began a coordinated general strike against austerity policies that labor leaders blame for prolonging and worsening the economic crisis. As the strike forced schools and public transportation to close, demonstrators in Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain rallied to protest against spending cuts and tax hikes.
Workers Across EU Go On Strike Against Austerity Measures
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Belgian workers block trains as they demonstrate in Brussels.
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A Belgian protester wears a Guy Fawkes mask in Brussels.
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Demonstrators in Rome, Italy
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A protest in Rome
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A protester in Rome wears a T-shirt that reads: "No cuts. Spending review."
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Demonstrations in Rome
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Demonstrations in Rome
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French labor unions march in Strasbourg.
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Protestors scuffle with police outside a branch of the Bank of Spain branch in Valencia.
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Graffiti in Seville, Spain, reads, "Something more will have to be cut."
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Workers demonstrate during a general strike at the Atocha train station in Madrid, Spain.
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A striking union worker posts a sticker on a screen at Madrid's Barajas airport.
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Police stand guard at Atocha rail station in Madrid.
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Spanish strikers gather in the parking lot of the Madrid Bus Company.
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Workers picket at the entrance to the Mitrena shipyard in Lisbon, Portugal.