By IRNA,
Berlin : Tens of thousands marched across Germany to protest against austerity plans by the center-right government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, press reports said Saturday.
Organized by the labor unions, over 100,000 protesters took to the streets of major German cities, among them Stuttgart, Hanover, Frankfurt, Berlin, Dortmund and Nuremberg, to voice their anger over deep social cuts.
Speakers at the demonstrations stressed that not only business but also people’s interests had to be the criteria for political decisions.
They reiterated that powerful interest groups should not determine the guidelines for the politics of the country.
At the same time, protesters demanded also a wage hike and the introduction of a minimum salary in Germany.
The Merkel government has faced the wrath of ordinary Germans for more than 80 billion euros worth of spending cuts that slashed social benefits for millions of poor Germans but did not raise taxes for top earners.
More than 90 percent of Germans have given the Merkel administration a failing grade for its overall performance, according to a survey released earlier this week by the private sat.1 television station.