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21 May 2011
Last updated at
10:05
In pictures: Spanish protests
Some 25,000 demonstrators have gathered in Madrid's Puerta del Sol, defying a government ban imposed a day before local elections.
The demonstrators are protesting against austerity measures as the government tries to recover its troubled economy.
Despite fears from some quarters of a possible police crackdown, the government has suggested it would not enforce the ban. Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the police were "not going to resolve one problem by creating another".
Hundreds are camped out in the square wrapped in sleeping bags or blankets. When the ban came into force at midnight, correspondents said there was a moment's silence, before the square erupted in cheers.
Political rallies are banned under Spanish law on the day before elections to allow for a "day of reflection". On Sunday, Spaniards will elect 8,116 city councils and 13 out of 17 regional governments.
Polls suggest that Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s ruling Socialist party will be handed a heavy defeat.
Spain pulled out of recession at the start of last year but the economy has not yet gained momentum. The country's 21% unemployment rate is the highest in the EU.
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