Anti-crisis protests shake up Spanish elections

A wave of protests swept across Europe today. Two-thirds of Spain's commuter trains were shut down. In Portugal, bus and train were suspended across the country. Italy, Greece, and Belgium also saw major protests. Please consider Der Spiegel report Anti-Austerity Protests Spark Violence

Spaniards voted Sunday in local elections set to crush the ruling Socialists even as protesters fuming over mass unemployment defied a ban on their swelling movement.Demonstrators, who blame mainstream politicians for a jobless rate of more than 21 percent, refused to budge from a makeshift plastic-covered camp in central Madrid's Puerta del Sol square.The electoral impact of the protests, which have brought tens of thousands onto the streets since May 15, including an estimated 60,000 nationwide on the eve of the election, was difficult to gauge.

Spanish protesters furious over soaring unemployment remained camped in a Madrid square on Saturday after all-night festivities in defiance of a 48-hour ban ahead of local elections.Some 25,000 people, according to Spanish media, crammed the central Puerta del Sol square and surrounding streets late on Friday to stage a silent protest and then erupted in whistles and cheers of joy as the ban, ordered by Spain's election commission, took effect at midnight."Now we are all illegal" and "the people united will never be defeated," were among the chants of the protesters.

Spanish protesters furious over soaring unemployment remained camped in a Madrid square Saturday after all-night festivities in defiance of a 48-hour ban ahead of local elections.Some 25,000 people, according to Spanish media, crammed the central Puerta del Sol square, spilling onto surrounding streets, late on Friday to stage a brief silent protest, their hands in the air and many with their mouths covered by tape.

Spanish protesters furious over soaring unemployment remained camped in a Madrid square Saturday after all-night festivities in defiance of a 48-hour ban ahead of local elections.Some 25,000 people, according to Spanish media, crammed the central Puerta del Sol square, spilling onto surrounding streets, late on Friday to stage a brief silent protest, their hands in the air and many with their mouths covered by tape.