Basque-ing in Anarchy

On Monday, the International Monetary Fund held an economic forum at Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum in the Basque Country, Spain. Inside, King Juan Carlos and Iñigo Urkullu, president of the Basque Country, praised Christine Lagarde – head of the IMF – as she suggested more wage cuts to help the Spanish economy.

Obviously, suggestions like that aren’t welcomed by all; outside, thousands of people took to the streets to protest. The day started with a trade union march and ended with rioting, as people left the demonstration to smash the windows of banks, posh car dealerships and other symbols of wealth.

The leaders of the ruling People’s Party were inside, claiming that the economy is back to normal. But outside, people were angry that the unemployment rate is 26 percent and that everything is still definitely not OK in Spain.