Violence erupted in Madrid around midnight after dozens of protesters reached the city’s Puerta del Sol square and clashed with riot police.
Security forces used batons, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd as it tried to enter the congress building located on the square.
The streets of Madrid were paralyzed by the boundless crowds of people bellowing “Hands up, this is a robbery!” An estimated 100,000 people participated in the demonstrations in the capital.
In Barcelona, similar scenes were reported. About a dozen protesters were arrested outside the local parliament building.
Eight firemen stripped naked in the northern town of Mieres near Oviedo. "With so many cuts we have been left naked," declared a banner on the wall above them.
The demonstrations were organized by unions who have been outraged by the government’s new measures. One such measure is an end to Christmas bonuses for civil servants, which amounts to a 3.5 to 7 per cent reduction in annual pay. "There's nothing we can do but take to the street.
"We have to make some noise, because they're making fun of us and of all working people," said Iria, 34, an auditor in the treasury.
Earlier Thursday, Spanish Parliament approved a new package of spending cuts and tax hikes aiming to save $80 billion in a bid to take a bite out of the budget deficit. Since the measure was announced last week, Spain has witnessed a series of daily demonstrations,
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