Thousands of Spaniards demonstrated Sunday in central Madrid against austerity measures that a new poll showed has dented the support for the Socialist government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
As many as 15,000 people joined the march against the belt-tightening measures worth 15 billion euros (18.6 billion dollars) that Zapatero announced in a new bid to shore up Spain's public finances after stocks plunged over fears it could follow Greece into a debt crisis.
Police put turnout at the demonstration, called by unions and non-governmental organisations, at around 5,000 people. The new austerity plan triggered a nine-point plunge in the support for Zapatero's Socialists, which would take only 33.7 percent of votes against 42.8 percent for the opposition conservative Popular Party, according to a poll published Sunday in El Pais.
Zapatero's new austerity plan includes a five-percent pay cut for public sector workers from June, and a pay freeze from 2011. Pensions except for the poorest will also be frozen in 2011.
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