Police and anti-austerity protesters clash in Brussels

Police and anti-austerity protesters clash in Brussels

Photos posted on Twitter show that the police used water cannons against the protesters.

"Our message is simple, but it's a message that European officials don't want to hear. Our message is that their policy in response to the financial crisis is not enough and that it actually worsened the social and economic crisis. Our message is that austerity measures do not work," said the general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, Bernadette Segol.

The aim of the gathering is to "offer a new road to Europe, without austerity, but with big investments with the goal of continued growth and quality jobs," said a spokeswoman for the Confederation.

Unions invited citizens to, in the May 25 elections, "vote for candidates who will change the way the EU is led."

More than 26 million Europeans are currently jobless. There are ten million more unemployed persons than in 2008, and 18 of the 28 EU member states reported a drop in earnings, European trade unions noted.

"The situation is even worse among young people: 7.5 million young Europeans are not working, and not in school. Many of them are highly educated... and they are leaving their country to seek work elsewhere," said Segol.