Yellow vest protest movement spreads to UK, Portugal
(VOVWORLD) - Beefeater guards at the Tower of London switched their traditional red uniforms for yellow vests on Friday as they went on strike with staff at other historic sites over pensions.
 Yellow vest protest movement in Portugal (Photo: Alton Telegraph) |
For the first time in 55 years, visitors to the medieval castle were met by a picket line. Staff at the Historic Royal Palaces, including Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace, staged a walkout, donning the high-visibility yellow vests worn by demonstrators in France. HRP has replaced their current pension system with a new one which includes increased employee contributions.
The yellow vest protests in capital Lisbon and several other cities in Portugal ended with low turnout and three detentions on Friday. The protesters began to flock to the Marques de Pombal square in downtown Lisbon in early morning rush hours but they failed in blocking the traffic. The protests, inspired by the similar movement in Paris, also took place in the cities of Porto, Braga and Coimbra in the north of the country.
The protesters demand that the Socialist government headed by Prime Minister Antonio Costa reduce the taxes and fuel prices, and further raise the minimum wages to 700 euros and unemployment subsidies.
The Portuguese government approved on Thursday the increase of the country's national minimum wage to 600 euros as of Jan. 1 next year.