Spain austerity: Huge Madrid protest turns violent

Eight columns of protestors from different corners of Spain – Andalusia, Extremadura, Murcia and Valencia, Catalonia, Aragon and Navarre, La Rioja and Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria – converged in Madrid on the 22 March 2014 to protest the budget cuts 'dictated by the Troika', a reference to the trio comprising the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank that had established economic policy for the countries that received a bailout (Spain had a bank bailout, not a full-blown rescue like Ireland, Portugal and Greece).

The BBC reported that violence broke out at the end of the anti-austerity protest.

• Primary Source

El País, 21.03.14: Marches against austerity cuts reach outskirts of Madrid http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/03/21/inenglish/1395427167_056393.html

The Local.es, 23.03.14: Madrid 'march for dignity' ends in clashes http://www.thelocal.es/20140323/clashes-at-end-of-month-long-march-for-dignity-to-madrid

ESO: Background information: IMF improves growth forecasts for Spain but raises its estimate for unemployment http://www.europeansources.info/record/imf-improves-growth-forecasts-for-spain-but-raises-its-estimate-for-unemployment/

ESO: Background information: Recovery in Spain picks up pace at the end of 2013 http://www.europeansources.info/record/recovery-in-spain-picks-up-pace-at-the-end-of-2013/

El País, 24.03.14: Police call for resignations after 'Dignity March' descends into violence http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/03/24/inenglish/1395658403_411585.html

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