Thousands demonstrate outside Spanish Congress

Demonstrators shout slogans while they hold and assembly outside Madrid's Parliament as the debate for the 2013 budget goes on inside, Oct 23, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

MADRID - Demonstrators on Tuesday again protested close to the Spanish Congress building in Madrid to show their opposition to the government of Mariano Rajoy.

The latest manifestation of the movement, comes just under a month after their first attempt to surround the Congress, which ended in a series of police baton charges and with over 60 people needing hospital treatment.

This new demonstration coincided with the opening of the debate of the 2013 budget in Congress, a debate in which Rajoy had not been present to defend the economic policy of his Popular Party government.

The government insisted that Tuesday's demonstration was illegal, partly because permission to protest had not been given in sufficient time and 600 riot police were drafted in to protect the Congress, which was again sealed off by metal barriers in order to stop the demonstrators getting too close.

The number of protesters built up through the evening and by 20:30 local time between 3,000 t0 4,000 were present, enough to stop the flow of traffic in the Paseo del Prado. However, despite the large police presence no incidents had been reported.

A further demonstration is planned for the coming weekend.

Demonstrators gather outside Parliament as the debate for the 2013 budget goes on inside Parliament in Madrid, Oct 23, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]