Story highlights
22 demonstrators are arrested
28 are hurt, 2 of them police
Some 6,000 protesters gathered outside Spain's congressional building in Madrid
The demonstrators are against the government and the opposition
Thousands of protesters fed up with the country’s austerity measures demonstrated here Tuesday outside the congressional building.
Clashes between police and demonstrators in central Madrid’s Neptuno Square resulted in 28 people being hurt, two of them police officers, a police spokesman said.
The spokesman said 22 people among the estimated crowd of 6,000 had been arrested.
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Demonstrators said police were shooting into the crowd with rubber bullets; the police would not comment.
“We have you surrounded,” some demonstrators sang. “We have no fear.”
At one point, Spanish police charged demonstrators with batons to prevent them from approaching the parliament, which was in session.
Spain is facing an economic crisis with unemployment near 25%, and the protesters accused the government and the opposition alike of trying to solve the country’s financial woes on the backs of the people.
Video from the scene showed police charging groups of protesters with their clubs, but such clashes were isolated.
Protesters’ demands include a reduction in the size of the government, state-run broadcaster TVE reported.
Some protesters threw bottles and rocks at the police officers, who fought back, TVE reported.
Journalist Javier Ruiz in Madrid contributed to this report
