Tens of thousands of Germans began two days of protests in Berlin against unemployment benefit cuts on Saturday, but turnout fell short of expectations in a further sign that resignation over the reforms is replacing anger.
Waving banners calling on Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's government to resign and criticising his "Agenda 2010" reforms, whistling and chanting protesters marched through the city to a rally in Alexanderplatz, the heart of former East Berlin.
It was the first national demonstration against the labour market reforms, known as Hartz IV, since weekly protests began to be held in cities throughout the country in an echo of the Monday marches that helped bring down East Germany's regime. The benefit cuts are due to take effect in January.
A poll of 1,500 Germans published in Tagesspiegel newspaper on Saturday found only 24 percent ranked the reforms as their main concern, down from 66 percent in late August.
Only in eastern Germany, where unemployment at 18 percent is more than double the rate in the west, is Hartz still the main concern, Tagesspiegel said. The survey also found support for Schroeder's Social Democrats rising from recent lows.
Whereas some protest groups had once hoped to draw a million people to the capital, only around 45,000 took part, said police and organisers. Another demonstration is planned on Sunday to coincide with the 14th anniversary of German unification.
The reforms will cut the level of support for around one million long-term unemployed down to the level of social welfare payments and introduce tougher means testing for recipients. Around 500,000 people are expected to lose support totally.
The government took steps to soften the measures slightly when the protests swelled in August but has since ruled out further changes until their full impact can be judged, a line restated by Schroeder in a newspaper interview on Saturday.
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