Sparks fly as Cyprus state electricity workers protest over sell-off plans

2014-02-24 41

Workers at Cyprus’s state electricity utility clashed with police in a rare explosion of anger on Monday over government privatisation plans under a 10
billion euro international bailout. Hundreds of demonstrators burst through police barricades in central Nicosia while lawmakers were debating. Further talks are expected this week.

The island has seen little of the unrest stirred by bailouts in other euro zone nations, even though its aid conditions were among the harshest – closure of a failing bank and forcing large depositors in a second to help recapitalise the lender.