Thousands in Portugal protest austerity measures as government eyes further cuts
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Several thousand people are protesting in Lisbon against austerity cuts the government says are needed to help Portugal out of recession.
The nation is heading for a third straight year of negative growth, and protesters are worried more pain is heading their way as the government tries to make more savings.
One of Saturday's protesters, 71-year-old Jorge Silva, said the elderly are seeing nearly constant deterioration of their living conditions, including difficulty buying medicine "because they don't have money."
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Portugal was the third country, after Greece and Ireland, to fall into the eurozone's financial crisis and required a €78 billion lifeline in May 2011 to avert bankruptcy.
Austerity cuts, particularly to health care services and public education, have triggered many strikes and street protests.