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In Portugal, tens of thousands of civil servants have taken to the streets to protest against proposed tax hikes and pay cuts. The unpopular austerity measures are designed to help Portugal meet the requirements of a bailout package.
Tens of thousands of Portuguese civil servants marched in Lisbon on Saturday, joined by off-duty police and retired soldiers.
They are protesting against pay cuts imposed by the government's 2012 budget bill, which is designed to meet the tough requirements of the EU/IMF bailout.
One day after parliament approved the budget bill in its first reading, the civil servants packed the wide Avenida Liberdade thoroughfare and the Restauradores Square.
Popular chants included "IMF get out of here!" and "No to the stealing of our wages!"
The 2012 budget bill scraps holiday and year-end bonuses for civil servants and raises taxes on a wide range of products and services.
This is on top of other pay cuts and pension freezes which have already been imposed.
The final vote will take place on November 29, and unions are planning a general strike for Nov. 24 to protest against the plans.
Portugal earlier this year became the third euro zone country after Greece and Ireland to receive a bailout.
It is now enacting painful and unpopular austerity measures to meet the targets of its 78-billion euro EU/IMF bailout.
