Syntagma Riotcam Resumes Broadcasting From Madrid Where Cops Use Rubber Bullets On Protesters

First thing this morning when discussing the upcoming festivities in Europe in the aftermath of Spain's decision to hike sales tax from 18% to 21%, while making sure it is the common people who get hurt in the upcoming bank nationalization in which sub notes and hybrid debt is impaired, largely held by retail investors as the FT showed yesterday, we said that "Spain promised to crush its middle class even more by impairing retail held sub debt and hybrids, while forcing them to pay more taxes, a move which will lead to some spectacular Syntagma Square riotcam moments." Three hours later and the riotcam is now live.

From CNN:

Spanish police used rubber bullets and batons to disperse protesters in central Madrid, witnesses in the city said Wednesday.

Hundreds of people moved quickly out of the area as the police moved in.

Protesters, including a group of miners who have marched on the capital, are demonstrating against Spain's government and the austerity measures it is imposing as it seeks to curb the country's debt crisis.

Madrid's ambulance service said 43 people were injured in clashes at or near the Industry Ministry.

The injured include 26 miners and 12 police, as well as a number of supporters of the miners. Eight are receiving hospital treatment but the injuries are not serious, the ambulance service said.

The clashes came as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced an increase in the sales tax from 18% to 21% and a series of spending cuts, Spanish news agency Efe reported.

Announcing the measures to lawmakers, Rajoy said they would cut the budget by 65 billion euros ($80 billion) over two-and-a-half years, according to Efe.

Actually the only thing the "measures" will lead to, as whoever is the Greek finmin these days can attest to, is precisely the same economic toxic spiral breakdown, where nobody pays taxes, and where daily strikes cripple the economy.

And of course the imminent arrival of Chorizo the riot dog.

Comments

[americanspirit]

Spain may not have many guns but that needn't stop people from defending themselves when the police are attacking. There are so many ways to make very effective lethal-force weapons out of ordinary household items. The only question is when people are going to stop cowering and crying and start fighting

.

[Mitzibitzi]

When there's no other alternative. Far too many would choose to toil under an authoritarian system rather than live free because it's simply more comfortable and familiar. It's only when the social safety net is finally torn away that people will be forced to make the decision.

[Sandmann]

Spain lived under the Franco Regime 1936-1975 and the USA was really happy with that

[LFMayor]

So you bemoan the lack of U.S. involvement in toppling or ending Franco. 

Did you support the involvement and toppling of Saddam Hussein, or bemoan that too?

[Sandmann]

Never commented on whether Franco shopuld have been toppled or not, merely responded to earlier comment about authoritarian regimes as if Spaniards had no experience.

As for Saddam Hussein - I had no opinion. If Governments choose to go to war they do - if they are totally incompetent and incapable they invade Iraq and hand it over to Iran. If they are super incompetent they go to Afghanistan. If they are stupid they turn Libya and Mali upside down. If they are suicidal they sent Special Forces into Syria and provoke Russia. If they are totally bonkers they go to war with Iran.

Do you bemoan anything ? Or are you simply waiting for the day that something blasts big holes in your life ?

[Sandmann]

Spain has lots of guns and North Africa just across the water......

[unemployed]

VAT next for the U.S.???

[Sandmann]

Don't forget VAT goes on lawyers' fees, food, water, medicines, books, newspapers   - it has a far wider coverage than US Sales Taxes

[MaAncheNo]

A different take at VAT increases in the eurozone

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&i...

(google tranlated with few corrections)

There 'a strange and systematic coincidence in the fact that each country considers reasonable as a measure the' rise in VAT, as soon as the EU Trojka puts his hands on its balance sheet (Italy, Spain, Greece & Co): it seems that the strategy is to reduce imports from outside the EU, to disrupt the business and strengthen retail in the countries subject to attacks.

This seems to be the strategy followed to date, and originates from a consideration: the U.S. is now openly in a recession, the moment of "taxmageddon" (2) approaches, are getting $ 1.3 trillion-cuts that will cost at least 1,000,000 unemployed only in the defense sector, and to make matters worse they have almost no welfare state. The concept is that the EU countries can withstand much more recession than US because of welfare, so the game "Let's see who can resist more without breathing' is a game that benefits the EU. What you do with the recessive measures is 'to remove  at the same time, exports to the U.S. - EU-zone' so far the largest importer of U.S. goods - and worsen their economy. And this while Obama is in election campaign, which means "stop your wall street gangsters, or soon you will pray us on your knees to stop reducing the debt and to practice austerity." Of course, this is painful move from EU point of view, but considering that the war was wanted by others, it's about time someone starts to blame London and Wall Street, if the damage of this war are painful. In itself ', the U.S. can not resist recessionary measures in europe over the summer, and even a further decline in the value of' Euro. Moreover, those who had off futures in Euro by winning all the bets on the purchase of goods, while those who have in dollars .... it is called war, and never supposed to be easy or little painful. The problem of war is simply that once you have started you have to win.

[Sandmann]

Worked at Kent State I suppose.....

[robertocarlos]

Cue The Clash.

[Bunga Bunga]

Few thousands for rubber bullets to save 80 billions, priceless. Get over it Spaniards!

[marco1324]

Shame you cant demonstrate anymore without the Big Bank Stomping Boys stomping on your head.