28/07/2012 00:00
TW
0

Palma.—Civil servants, council employees, pensioners, the homeless and students have been protesting against the Spanish government's austerity measures every day for the past three weeks on the streets of Madrid and elsewhere across Spain and yesterday, over 1'000 council employees descended on Plaza Cort and tried to storm Palma City Hall and disrupt the council meeting.

Over 1'000 members of the fire services, Local Police force, EMT bus company and teachers mounted a massive and noisy demonstration outside City hall while, despite desperate attempts by extra security, a number of fire fighters managed to get inside City hall while others even got into the council chamber to voice their anger at the cuts.

Mateu Isern, the Mayor of Palma, admitted that the cuts are unfair but stressed that, considering the current circumstances, “they are absolutely necessary.” However, despite having been handed a loud speaker to address the crowd, he was unable to finish his speech because he was drowned out by the noise and shouts of the furious protesters. Isern did eventually make his case but he was met will calls to either refuse to comply with the government's guidelines, like some councils have, or resign in solidarity with the general public. One fireman, after reading a statement to the protesters warned that the “war has only just begun.”