Protests against the economic situation in Europe are ongoing, as hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Spain on Saturday to protest the state of pensions.
Retirees took to the streets of Madrid on Saturday, demanding improvements to pensions, linking them to inflation, and ending the gender gap in pensions, while similar marches were organized in France and Italy amid tight security measures. According to Euronews, the demonstration was organized by the Retiree Movement with the support of labor unions, including the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), and the protesters marched from Atocha Station in the Spanish capital to Alcalá Street. The demonstrators are demanding improved pensions to ensure a decent standard of living for current retirees and future generations.
Their main demands include linking pension increases to actual inflation, raising the minimum pension to match the minimum wage, closing the gender gap in pensions, and protecting the public pension system from privatization. According to Agence France-Presse, over 250,000 people participated in the Madrid protests. Labor unions are calling for easing early retirement procedures without financial penalties for workers who have served for at least 35 years, and for the repeal of many pension system reforms announced since 2011. The Madrid demonstrations come at a time when several European countries are witnessing large-scale protests on Saturday and Sunday against the political and economic situation.
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