PHOTOS: Rioting Spanish coal miners fire homemade rockets

Michael Allan McCrae | June 21, 2012 | 5:12 am Energy Europe Coal 

With subsidies to Spain’s coal industry about to be yanked, striking workers are ratcheting up the pressure on the government and clashing violently with police.

Authorities have resorted to rubber bullets and tear gas while the strikers are setting up barricades on roads and railways. Coal miners were also filmed firing homemade rockets to shut down a road.

There have also been wide scale protests in towns near the coal mining region.

Due to austerity measures, Spain is reigning in spending to meet debt obligations and keep the country from sliding out of the eurozone. The country has roughly halved the subsidies for the industry, reducing annual payouts from $375 million to $137 million.

A recent bank bail-out angered workers who feel their industry is bearing the brunt of the cuts.

Spanish miners fire rockets to cut off a highway.

Rioting uploaded by @redvamas

Coal miners beginning a march in Leon, uploaded by @terguti

More marchers by @bierzo5

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2 Comments

  • Mark Harder

    Home made rockets! Cool. Gives new meaning to the right to bear arms. I wonder how they made them? Please send the plans to the Syrian rebels.

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