A protester grimaces as she is dragged away by riot police outside the Spanish parliament in Madrid, September 25, 2012.  Protesters clashed with police in Spain’s capital on Tuesday as the government prepares a new round of unpopular austerity measures for the 2013 budget that will be announced on Thursday. [REUTERS/Susana Vera]  READ ON: Protesters step up anti-austerity demonstrations in Madrid
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A protester grimaces as she is dragged away by riot police outside the Spanish parliament in Madrid, September 25, 2012. 

Protesters clashed with police in Spain’s capital on Tuesday as the government prepares a new round of unpopular austerity measures for the 2013 budget that will be announced on Thursday. [REUTERS/Susana Vera] 

READ ON: Protesters step up anti-austerity demonstrations in Madrid

A riot policeman is engulfed by flames after a protester threw petrol bombs in Athens’ Syntagma square during a 24-hour labour strike September 26, 2012.  Greek police fired teargas at hooded youths hurling petrol bombs and stones as tens of thousands took to the streets in Greece’s biggest anti-austerity demonstration in months on Wednesday. [REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis] READ ON: Clashes erupt as thousands of Greeks protest austerity
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A riot policeman is engulfed by flames after a protester threw petrol bombs in Athens’ Syntagma square during a 24-hour labour strike September 26, 2012. 

Greek police fired teargas at hooded youths hurling petrol bombs and stones as tens of thousands took to the streets in Greece’s biggest anti-austerity demonstration in months on Wednesday. [REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis]

READ ON: Clashes erupt as thousands of Greeks protest austerity

A massive police presence restored calm overnight on Wednesday to the French city of Amiens, where arson and gun attacks on police have added law and order to the deep economic problems President Francois Hollande must confront. The Socialist leader pledged to do all in his power to stamp out unrest two straight days of disturbances in which after 17 police were injured, some by shotgun pellets. An extra 100 officers were sent to the Fafet district in northern Amiens late on Tuesday, bringing to 250 the number of police patrolling there versus the usual 30, officials said. “The night in the northern district of Amiens was very, very calm. There were incidents in other parts of Amiens and seven cars were burned but this is sadly something that is a regular occurrence in the city,” a police spokesman said. Residents have split over the violence, some blaming heavy-handed policing for rioting in which a brand new gym and a nursery school were torched, and drivers were dragged from their cars before the vehicles were set alight. READ ON: Riots add to economic woes facing France’s Hollande
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A massive police presence restored calm overnight on Wednesday to the French city of Amiens, where arson and gun attacks on police have added law and order to the deep economic problems President Francois Hollande must confront.

The Socialist leader pledged to do all in his power to stamp out unrest two straight days of disturbances in which after 17 police were injured, some by shotgun pellets.

An extra 100 officers were sent to the Fafet district in northern Amiens late on Tuesday, bringing to 250 the number of police patrolling there versus the usual 30, officials said.

“The night in the northern district of Amiens was very, very calm. There were incidents in other parts of Amiens and seven cars were burned but this is sadly something that is a regular occurrence in the city,” a police spokesman said.

Residents have split over the violence, some blaming heavy-handed policing for rioting in which a brand new gym and a nursery school were torched, and drivers were dragged from their cars before the vehicles were set alight.

READ ON: Riots add to economic woes facing France’s Hollande

Reuters chart showing the latest results from yesterday’s elections in Greece. READ MORE: Relieved Europe hints at more time for Greece
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Reuters chart showing the latest results from yesterday’s elections in Greece.

READ MORE: Relieved Europe hints at more time for Greece

Policeman strikes AFP photojournalist Patricia Melo during the Portuguese general strike in Lisbon March 22, 2012.

Portugal faces a general strike by workers angered by austerity measures imposed as a condition of a 78-billion euro bailout last year but doubts remain as to whether Thursday’s stoppage will receive widespread support. [REUTERS/Hugo Correia]

Read more: Portuguese strike against austerity snarls transport

A defaced Bank of Greece sign is seen during protests against planned reforms by Greece’s coalition government in Athens, February 10, 2012. The grafitti says “cops they will eat your children” (referring to the Bank of Greece sign the grafitti entours). [REUTERS/John Kolesidis] » Live Blog: The Greek Debt Crisis | Latest from Reuters.com
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A defaced Bank of Greece sign is seen during protests against planned reforms by Greece’s coalition government in Athens, February 10, 2012.

The grafitti says “cops they will eat your children” (referring to the Bank of Greece sign the grafitti entours). [REUTERS/John Kolesidis]

» Live Blog: The Greek Debt Crisis | Latest from Reuters.com