Protests in the Euro Zone (PHOTOS)
Protesters near Syntagma square in front of the Greek Parliament on June 22, 2011 in Athens, Greece. Demonstrators had camped outside parliament since May 25, 2011 during a peaceful ongoing rally against plans for new austerity measures.
From the Berlusconi scandal in February 2011 which triggered mass demonstrations in Italy, protests have continued, most recently against the referendum on nuclear energy, in another blow for Berlusconi's government according to the Economist.
The youth in Spain has also been protesting heavily against soaring unemployment, which marks the current financial crisis in Europe. Spain's unemployment has doubled in three years and in Greece and the Irish Republic, unemployment figures are at their highest level in 10 years, according to a BBC report. So it's not surprising that the Greeks too have also taken to the streets protesting the new economic reforms being proposed. Brussels has also seen similar protests this week resulting in numerous clashes with policemen.
Mass demonstrations, sleeping outside the parliament, and attempts to forcibly close down cities in organized strikes are a common characteristic of the protests all over Europe. The message is loud and clear: people are unhappy with the system and do not seem ready to give up.
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