with the recent severe 'austerity' cuts attacking ordinary people in spain, there have been increasing numbers of major protests there. the authorities have responded with repressive and violent policing, especially in valencia. in solidarity, around 50 protestors gathered at the spanish embassy in west london this morning.

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in spain, just a few months after prime minsiter mariano rajoy's conservative government took power, around half of all 16-24 year olds are unemployed, along with nearly a quarter of all adults. even among those in employment, there has been a radical shift to short-term contracts, fewer rights, and overall precarity.

last weekend unions staged a third massive protest challenging the government cuts which have hit the public sector hard, especially in the areas of health and education. more than a million people took to the streets, with 500,000 in madrid, nearly as many in barcelona, and tens of thousands in other cities. during the week there have been further protests in at least 26 cities.

in valencia, young people protested against huge education cuts which have left some classrooms without even heating and electricity. the police reacted brutally, and photos and videos have emerged of police beating, pushing and dragging many young people, including girls as young as 14. the police have also been accused of stealing medical records to obstruct any proceedings against them, and the chief of police refused to give out the badge numbers of those involved, instead, during a press conference, actually referring to protestors as "the enemy".

so today's protest was called by spanish groups in london, and it attracted around 50 people, along with a solidarity visit from a few members of 'rhythms of resistance' samba band, who provided some rousing rhythms to accompany the spanish chants.

as the protestors gathered, they were watched by a rather camera-shy security man in front of the embassy, and after he'd exchanged words with some diplomatic police who turned up, they instructed the crowd that they couldn't protest directly in front of the embassy as this would be 'dangerous' because of the busy road (belgrave square on a sunday morning?). still the activists were happy to take up position on the traffic island opposite the embassy, and apart from occasional drives-past, the police kept their distance from the protest.

soon, someone was creating some banners using crayons and paper, and after an hour or so of noisy chants and samba, the group formed a large seated circle and held a general assembly on the pavement opposite the embassy.

activists are predicting a new spring awakening in spain, with a call for a build-up to an international day of action in may.