Public transportation ground to a halt, airports closed and factories shut down as Portuguese workers rose up in resistance against harsh austerity measures with a general strike on Nov. 24. Thousands of marchers in Lisbon expressed solidarity with protests sweeping Europe, chanting, ”Spain, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, our struggle is international.”
Protesting workers received a significant endorsement when progressive military officers who toppled Portugal’s dictatorship in 1974 voiced support. Former colonel Mário Tomé joined marching workers, saying, “We cannot let the one percent of the population that controls financial markets destroy the rest of society.”
The European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund have demanded severe cutbacks in return for a 78 billion euro ($100 billion) bailout. These include cuts in bonuses, an increased work day and cuts in public health and other services. Portugal is already suffering its worst recession in decades, with a 12.4 percent official unemployment rate, the highest it has been since the 1980s.
