Riot police and off-duty colleagues face off in Portuguese austerity protest
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Scores of Portuguese riot police have stopped protesting off-duty colleagues breaking through a security cordon around Parliament.
In a tense two-hour standoff Tuesday, uniformed police formed a barrier around the parliament building to keep out the protesters who were part of a march of more than 10,000 police officers. Dozens of demonstrators pushed up against the police line but failed to break through.
In a similar demonstration last November, protesters reached the doors of Parliament. That security breach brought the resignation of the national police chief.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Police and other security officials are angry about cuts to their pay, pensions and welfare benefits as part of government spending cuts.
The center-right government agreed to cost-cutting austerity measures when Portugal took a 78 billion-euro ($108 billion) bailout in 2011.