Topic: Austerity Protests

The Spanish parliament approved a law imposing heavy fines on unauthorized protests, a move seen as a crackdown on anti-austerity demonstrations. Similar economic unrest is noted in Italy, where youth unemployment has reached 43%, and in Greece, which faces a potential return to bankruptcy. These measures reflect growing state efforts to suppress public dissent as economic conditions in the Eurozone deteriorate.

Thousands of protesters in Brussels clashed with police over EU austerity measures, using oranges and cobblestones as projectiles. The U.S. embassy was briefly placed on lockdown. The hosts question why American mainstream media outlets are largely ignoring these massive riots in Europe.

Half a million people took to the streets in London to protest government austerity measures and cuts to public services. Chancellor George Osborne's budget included a "one penny" reduction in fuel tax, which critics dismissed as a meaningless gesture while oil companies faced higher taxes likely to be passed to consumers. The unrest is linked to similar economic revolts in Greece and Portugal.