EU Summit Blockaded Over 'Economic Poison' of Austerity

EU leaders meet to hash out budget, trade policies that protesters say are "for big business," not the people

Jacob Chamberlain 

Common Dreams

 

(Photo: BELGA / Olivier Vin via Twitter / 15MBcn_int)

Anti-austerity protesters in Brussels, Dec. 19, 2013 As European leaders gathered in Brussels Thursday for the EU summit, thousands of protesters marched through the streets, blocking roads and confronting police to express  opposition to the free-market laissez-faire policies that have brought about harsh austerity measures, and to a pending trade deal they say puts corporate interests above those of the people.
Roughly 10,000 people gathered in central Brussels by midday in coordination with 50 citizens' groups and labor organizations know as "Alliance D19-20"—a reference to the dates of the two-day summit.

Agencia EFE reports:

Marches by demonstrators early Thursday clogged this capital's main thoroughfares, especially those leading to the neighborhood where the headquarters of several EU's institutions are located.

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