Portugal: Thousands join austerity protests

Thousands of demonstrators held marches in more than 20 cities in Portugal today to protest against government-imposed austerity measures aimed at lifting the ailing country out of recession. Tens of thousands of people filled a Lisbon boulevard leading to the Finance Ministry carrying placards saying "Screw the troika, we want our lives back". The troika is a reference to the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank, the lenders behind the country's financial bailout. Many protesters sang a 40-year-old song linked to a 1974 popular uprising known as the Carnation Revolution. Some waved handkerchiefs in a symbolic gesture, saying goodbye to the government. "If the government pays attention to what is happening and understands that the people are against them, they should get out," said Serafin Lobato, 65. "If not, this won't stop." Portugal is expected to endure a third straight year of recession in 2013, with a 2% contraction. The overall jobless rate has grown to a record 17.6%. The marches were powered mostly by young people. Unemployment among people under 25 is close to 40%. The country's largest trade union, the General Confederation...