Protests and violence in Europe

Nationwide protests in Spain over economic woes

Thousands of Spaniards turn out for street demonstrations in the country's cities

the Independent,

13 May, 2012

Thousands of Spaniards angered by their grim economic prospects and political handling of the international financial crisis turned out for street demonstrations in the country's cities today, marking the one-year anniversary of a movement that inspired similar pressure groups in other countries.

Protesters in Madrid converged on the central Puerta del Sol plaza in the evening and aimed to stay for three days. But authorities warned they wouldn't allow anyone to camp out overnight, and up to 2,000 riot police were expected to be on duty.

Marches were also held in Barcelona, Bilbao, Malaga and Seville. Sympathisers held demonstrations in other European cities.

The protests began on May 15 last year and drew hundreds of thousands of people calling themselves the Indignant Movement. The demonstrations spread across Spain and Europe as anti-austerity sentiment grew.

Spain is in deep economic difficulty, prompting fears it may need a bailout similar to those helping Greece, Ireland and Portugal. It is in recession, and unemployment stands at almost 25% - the highest among the 17 countries using the euro. One in two Spaniards under the age of 25 are out of work.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government has enacted deep spending cuts to reduce the national debt, but many people blame those measures for deepening families' financial plight.

A year ago, the "indignados" pitched tents and occupied town and city squares across Spain for weeks. Demonstrators clashed with police who eventually moved in to evict them.

"We are here today to celebrate one year since the ... movement started and though we have achieved some things the situation is much worse now, so we need to keep fighting to get things better and that's why we are here today," said 40-year-old activist Ana Pancorvo, who was hooking up with one of four Madrid marches due to converge on the Puerta del Sol.

Antonio Barroso, a London-based Europe analyst for Eurasia Group, said he doubted the Spanish protests would force Mr Rajoy's government to change its policies.

The demonstrations "will probably have no impact on the government's strategy," he said in a written analysis.

Protests also took place in other European cities, and were planned in South American countries including Brazil and Chile.

Protesters took to the streets in London, Brussels and Lisbon, Portugal, where the turnout was lower than last year.

The protesters called for governments to enact a host of measures, including a global tax on financial transactions and more democratic international financial bodies.

Tax Collection Violence in Italy

Violent protests against the hated Equitalia, the Italian tax collection agency

Mish's Global Economic Analysis,

12 May, 2012

Violent protests against the hated Equitalia, the Italian tax collection agency, are making headlines in several cities in the past few days. In Rome mail bombings have been ongoing since December. Via Google Translate, this time in Italian, please consider a trio of articles.

Equitalia, six months of mail bombs

MILAN - Equitalia once again in the crosshairs. After the envelope with gunpowder delivered Friday to the see of Rome, in Via Giuseppe Grezar, last night, two Molotov cocktails were thrown against the door of the agency's headquarters in Livorno. This is the latest in a long series of parcel bombs and suspicious envelopes arrived in recent months in various offices of the Italian society of recovery.

THE FIRST PACKS-BOMB - The first package bomb delivered to Equitalia comes in via Millevoi, in Rome, December 9 last year. The bomb explodes in the hands of the director general, Mark Cockaigne, that is wounded in the hand and eye. On 12 December a large firecracker exploded outside the headquarters of the agency Equitalia in Naples. The explosion causes damage of the lower part of the gate valve iron input current Southern.

On 15 December an envelope, containing gunpowder and a primer, is caught in the seat of Equitalia Flaminio in Rome on the Tiber. On 20 December an envelope containing white powder with no sender is delivered to the site via Equitalia Millevoi. On 22 December, two envelopes containing suspicious powder is delivered to the Stock Exchange in the square in Milan and the Business of Equitalia in Via San Gregorio. On 4 January an anonymous caller warns of a bomb the headquarters of Perugia Equitalia. After the appropriate checks reveals a false alarm.

January 5 at Leghorn a threatening letter and a 7.65 caliber bullet is sent to the Director of the office of Equitalia of Livorno. The same day at Caserta a parcel containing gunpowder and intended to Equitalia of Caserta is intercepted by the Post Office, insospettitesi the lack of sender. Inside is also found a threatening letter. On January 9, an envelope containing suspicious powder and addressed to Equitalia is intercepted in the post office of Ischia and a second envelope with gunpowder and a piece of rope as a wick reaches the site of the Tiber Equitalia Flaminio in Rome.

Less than ten days later, on January 26, two envelopes are delivered, within an hour, in two different offices of the agency in Milan: the first at the headquarters of Via San Gregorio, the second on a Dell 'Innovation.

'N PAY THE CONSEQUENCES "- On 14 March, another envelope with suspicious powder was intercepted in Cosenza. The letter, sent to the registered capital of Calabria, contains electric wires with a triggering mechanism. To alert the police post is a postal sorting center of Cosenza, who became suspicious after seeing out of the envelope of gray dust. The letter also contains a sheet with a sentence written in large letters: "you'll pay the consequences." On April 27, false alarm for the two coffee cans connected with electric wire found outside the headquarters of Equitalia in Ivrea, near Turin. The bomb squad of policemen arrived to reclaim the land has not found any trigger.

On May 9, a bomb in the headquarters in Genoa by way of Equitalia Casaccie. The building was evacuated as a precaution, the accesses to the site are blocked by police.

Friday at 11.30, an envelope containing gunpowder was delivered to the Roman Equitalia, on Via Giuseppe Grezar. A first analysis was gunpowder inside but no ignition. The attorney on the case of Rome opened a file. Last night, finally, an attack with blows of Molotov cocktails has occurred against the headquarters of Equitalia of Livorno. Unknown assailants threw two Molotov cocktails against the door tax collection agency on the ground floor by way of Independence, in the city center. The fire caused damage outside the building. Investigates the incident Digos.

Livorno, Molotov against Equitalia

4 Molotov cocktails (two did not ignite) and a bomb against Equitalia.

A Molotov cocktail first, then after a second, the noise of people fleeing the fire that illuminates and Independence Street in the center of Livorno, where the headquarters of Equitalia. It is' an attempt, Digos confirms that from 4.30 am on Saturday doing assessments, together with the Scientific, the entrance of the palace collection agency. The police found abandoned on the road three more bombs and other unexploded bomb paper two Molotov cocktails. But most worrying of rudimentary primers were found that probably should be used to cause a fire that could spread to the rest of the building where there are also apartments.

The damage of the attack fortunately are mild because the alarm was triggered almost immediately.

A letter from someone describing himself as a desperate "maverick" believed to be harassed by the "demon of the tax," which "does not distinguish between poor and billionaires" and are not aware of having violated the rules to be beyond the law.

Clashes outside the headquarters of Equitalia in Naples

NAPLES - The demonstration outside the offices of Equitalia leads to violence. The police charged the demonstrators, one hundred, the "Network against Neapolitan Equitalia" who manned the headquarters of South Course in Naples. "Network" made up of temporary committees, community centers, networks, trade unions and student base.

Firecrackers - Against the offices of the headquarters of the collecting society were thrown eggs filled with red paint and two firecrackers exploded. Then, bottles and stones have gone against the agents of the mobile unit deployed outside the offices. Police responded to the pressure of the demonstrators charging for at least 4 times and throwing tear gas.

Expect the protests to become more frequent and more violent. Protests in Greece started much the same way. Mario Monti, the technocrat appointed to save Italy has lost support.

Reuters reports local vote result dims reform prospects

May 9, 2012 12:18pm EDT

The results of last weekend's local elections in Italy are likely to weaken Prime Minister Mario Monti and make it harder for him to push through unpopular reforms to shield the country from a worsening euro zone debt crisis.

The vote to elect mayors in more than 900 towns and cities saw heavy losses for the centre-right PDL, the largest party backing Monti's technocrat government, and a surge in support for a protest movement that wants Italy to leave the euro.

Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was quoted in Italian media as saying his PDL would no longer "lie down" before Monti after the party suffered a rout at the polls on Sunday and Monday, losing control of dozens of cities.

The centre-left PD, which also lost votes but is likely to boost its number of mayors in run-off ballots thanks to the implosion of the PDL, said Monti must now take more account of its positions, which are increasingly hostile to austerity.

Monti said on Tuesday that he did not believe the vote would affect his government, but many analysts disagree.

"The impression is that Monti is more isolated. Having been the shield of the parties, he now risks becoming their target," said political commentator Massimo Franco in the daily Corriere della Sera.

The only winner at the vote was the 5 Star Movement led by Beppe Grillo, a shaggy-haired comedian who wants Italy to quit the euro and default on its debt and whose caustic invective against the established parties has gained increasing resonance in the wake of a spate of corruption scandals.

Monti is not going to remain in control for long, assuming of course he is still in control in the first place.

Russian Protesters to Continue Action to New March of Millions

RIA Novosti,

13 May, 2012

Russian activists who have set up an opposition camp in downtown Moscow will continue their protest until a new March of Millions scheduled for June 12, MP from the A Just Russia party Dmitry Gudkov said on Sunday.

“The camp here is planned until June 12. On June 12 a March of Millions will be held. It will certainly take place in many cities,” Gudkov said.

The opposition camp was set up in early May near a statue of 19th century Kazakh poet-philosopher Abai Kunanbayev at a square in downtown Moscow’s trendy Chistye Prudy neighborhood by some 2,000 activists protesting the return of Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin on May 7.

“We’re here because we care about the future of Russia and don’t want to see Putin in power for another 12 years,” student Nikita Belov said.

It was at Chistye Prudy that the first mass protest against Putin’s rule took place after last December’s disputed parliamentary polls, as some 5,000 demonstrators led by anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny attempted to take their discontent to the nearby Kremlin walls. That protest triggered an outpouring of anti-government dissent not seen here since the early 1990s, and much larger anti-Putin rallies followed in the months to come.

But last weekend, the largely peaceful protests suddenly turned violent during the March of Millions as demonstrators and police fought pitched battles in Moscow on the eve of Putin’s inauguration for a third presidential term.

Hundreds of activists then spent the next three days roaming through the capital’s squares and boulevards before gathering at Chistye Prudy, around the statue of philosopher Abai Kunanbayev.