Protests sweep across Europe

Associated Press

BRUSSELS

Tens of thousands of workers marched Wednesday through the streets of Europe, decrying the loss of jobs and benefits they fear will come with stinging austerity measures seeking to contain government debt.

Police fired shots in the air to disperse protesters at a general strike in Spain. Greek bus and trolley drivers walked off the job, joined by doctors who staged a 24-hour strike at state hospitals. Unions claimed a crowd of 100,000 marched on European Union headquarters in Brussels.

From Ireland to Greece, workers united around the theme that they are victims of a debt crisis caused by reckless high-spending bankers undermining Europe’s cherished welfare state. They complained of higher taxes, job cuts, soaring unemployment and smaller pensions.

Italian public-school teachers with temporary contracts didn’t get them extended, and parents have complained that class sizes are getting bigger under the cuts.

Like Italy, many nations are raising, or considering to raise, the pension age, fearing there won’t be any money left to pay retirees in the future.

France’s conservative government is moving through the legislature a plan to increase the retirement age from 65 to 67, which officials say would save nearly $25.9 billion in 2018.