Spain: Striking miners fearing austerity measures in violent clash with police

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/striking-miners-fearing-austerity-measures-in-violent-clash-with-police/article4291455/

Globe and
Mail
June 15 2012
Striking miners fearing austerity measures in violent clash with police

EMILIO MORENATTI and HAROLD HECKLE

El Soton, Spain — The Associated Press

Striking coal miners armed with homemade rockets and slingshots clashed
with police in northern Spain on Friday, leaving seven people injured, two
of them seriously, the Interior Ministry said.

The strike is the latest and the most violent of many in Spain in reaction
to harsh austerity measures aimed at digging the debt-burdened country out
of its financial crisis.

The miners are concerned that government cuts – including a reduction in
mining subsidies to €110-million ($142.1-million) from €300-million a year
– will devastate their industry.

Spain is applying across-the-board cutbacks as part of an economic overhaul
aimed at slashing its swollen deficit, but that plan comes at a time when
the country’s unemployment rate is nearly 25 per cent.

Four police officers and three journalists were injured when police tried
to remove roadblocks of flaming tires set up as part of the protest. The
officers were met with a barrage of missiles fired by the miners, the