Demonstrators march during a protest on a day of mobilisation against austerity measures by workers in southern Europe on November 14, 2012 in Rome. (AFP Photo / Filippo Monteforte)
11:06 GMT: The number of arrests in Spain during the general strike has now risen to 62 with 32 people injured, 18 of whom are police officers.
10:51 GMT: In France syndicates have organized around 130 rallies against austerity measures and the
French government.
“This is the first time in the history of the EU that a social movement of this scale will take place simultaneously in a number of countries,” said the French General Confederation of Labor in a statement.
10:11 GMT: The total of arrests in Spain has now reached 57, according to Spanish police. A protester was detained in Malaga in the south of the country after he attacked a police officer outside a bar, reports Spanish publication elMundo.
10:02 GMT: A countrywide railway strike has paralyzed Belgium, forcing thousands of commuters to take to already crowded motorways. The disruption includes nigh-speed services to London and Paris.
10:00 GMT: Thousands of people are marching in the center of Florence, Italy to protest Prime Minister Mario Monti’s austerity measures.
09:39 GMT: A general strike has been organized in Portugal with anti-austerity rallies in 40 towns and cities throughout the country. Transport services have effectively ground to a halt, with only 10 per cent of train services expected to run.
09:31 GMT: Police have arrested 42 people across Spain for damaging public property and disorderly behavior as protests began this morning. In addition, 18 people have been injured in scuffles with police throughout the country.
09:25 GMT: Mass anti-austerity rallies are unfolding throughout the EU as thousands of workers voice their rage at crippling government cuts as part of the European Day of Action and Solidarity. General strikes have already begun in Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain where the EU’s financial downturn has hit hardest.
