Macedonian protesters demand budget cuts

Several thousand supporters of the leftist opposition, led by Social Democrat leader and former Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski, have staged a demonstration in front of the ruling party's headquarters to protest violence that erupted during a parliamentary debate over the budget.
Macedonia's parliament approved the budget on Monday amid clashes outside Parliament between rival groups of protesters that left 11 police officers and at least 3 opposition lawmakers injured. Opposition deputies and journalists were expelled from parliament ahead of the vote.
The opposition, which held Saturday's peaceful protest in Skopje, argues that the conservative government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski is spending too much money on grandiose monuments and expensive cars and furniture for state officials. The opposition is demanding spending cuts and says it will boycott parliamentary proceedings indefinitely.