3,000 Spaniards hold demo in Barcelona

About 3,000 Spaniards have held a demonstration against the government’s budget cuts at the Catalan parliament in Barcelona, blocking the entrance of lawmakers.

Angry protesters, who were trying to prevent lawmakers of the autonomous community of Catalonia from voting on new austerity cuts, were met with a strong police cordon.

“What we wanted to do is show that we disagree with what they [Spanish lawmakers] are doing, so it’s not important if they enter [parliament] or not. The point is that we forced them to enter through a small door,” one protester said.

Protesters began arriving on Tuesday at Barcelona’s central park, where the parliament building is located, then camped out in the streets.

Protesters are demonstrating against the regional government’s plan to approve more cuts in funding for health, education, and social services. Protesters have difficulty in understanding the government policy, so they started questioning the government. They said that They wouldn’t give up demanding their own right untill they reach their goal.

Demonstrators are also protesting against political corruption and the country’s soaring unemployment rate, which stood at 21 percent in the first quarter of 2011. Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the industrialized world.

And the unemployment rate for people under 25 years old was 43.5 percent in February — the highest in the European Union.

Spaniards have been holding anti-government demonstrations since May 15.