Tens Of Thousands Protest Against Austerity In Brussels

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Brussels to protest against austerity measures introduced by the new Belgian government.

Citing police estimates, RTFB reported that the protest saw somewhere between 17,000 and 20,000 people turn out on Sunday, while the march organizers claimed that up to 120,000 people participated.

Press TV report: A number of the protesters shouted slogans like, “Yes, there is an alternative” to government savings. They also called for a fair tax system and a better distribution of government spending.

The demonstration came a day before a series of strikes which are scheduled to be staged across the country.

The strikes on Monday are expected to attract about 7,000 people just in the capital, and could disrupt public transport, reported Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

European countries are struggling with an economic crisis that erupted in early 2008, leaving millions unemployed and in financial distress.

According to official figures, over 125 million people across the EU, about a quarter of the bloc’s entire population, either live in poverty or are at the risk of poverty.

The worsening debt crisis has forced EU governments to adopt harsh austerity measures and tough economic reforms, which have triggered massive protests in many European countries.