Spanish Youth Protest as Austerity Bites

A series of youth rallies have swept across Spain's biggest cities ahead of this weekend's elections, with thousands calling for an overhaul of Spain's political system and economy, The Wall Street Journal reported. The protesters, mostly unemployed, filled public squares in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia on Wednesday, and most left late Wednesday night, leaving only several hundred core protesters camped in city squares. However, a fresh inflow of protesters, who can't join during workdays, may boost overall numbers Saturday and Sunday, said Noelia Moreno, one of the activist leaders. The rallies have defied bans in several cities, including Madrid, and attracted media attention after a successful Internet campaign through social networks like Facebook and Twitter, driven by the so-called Platform for Real Democracy. This group claims to represent wide segments of society enraged by political leaders with lavish lifestyles in times of crisis and shrinking wages. Read more. (Subscription required.)