Protest in Lisbon

PORTUGAL: Tens of thousands marched in Lisbon on Saturday against the government's austerity measures, with the leader of Portugal's top union vowing to intensify resistance but stopping short of calling a strike.

The rally was the first outpouring of popular discontent after the government announced additional austerity measures such as tax hikes, pay and spending cuts on May 13.

But the peaceful rally was a far cry from the tense, at times violent, atmosphere at protests in other austerity-afflicted European Union states, especially Greece.

The 725,000-strong Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP) had said it expected as many as 200,000 to march. A CGTP national committee official said tens of thousands of people joined the march. Police declined to estimate the turnout.

The rally did not appear as big as other demonstrations held in the same central Lisbon location, the largest of which was one by 140,000 teachers in 2008.

Lisbon, Sunday, Reuters