THOUSANDS OF DANISH STUDENTS, TEACHERS, WORKERS AND PENSIONERS PROTESTED WEDNESDAY IN THE COUNTRY'S MAIN CITIES AGAINST PLANNED CUTS IN THE WELFARE SYSTEM, ACCORDING TO DPA. FORMER SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC LEADER MOGENS LYKKETOFT AND HIS SUCCESSOR HELLE THORNING-SCHMIDT WERE AMONG THE WELL-KNOWN POLITICIANS THAT MINGLED WITH DEMONSTRATORS IN THE CAPITAL, COPENHAGEN. PRIME MINISTER ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN'S CENTRE-RIGHT MINORITY GOVERNMENT LAST MONTH ANNOUNCED PLANS TO REFORM THE WELFARE SYSTEM, INCLUDING RAISING THE RETIREMENT AGE. PROTESTERS CARRIED RED BANNERS WITH SLOGANS CRITICIZING PLANS TO CUT STUDENT GRANTS, CUTS IN THE HEALTH SECTOR, LOWERING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND RAISING THE EARLY RETIREMENT AGE FROM 60 TO 63 YEARS. IN COPENHAGEN, PROTESTERS GATHERED NEAR THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. ORGANIZERS HOPED THE COUNTRY-WIDE PROTESTS WOULD ASSEMBLE 100,000 DEMONSTRATORS, MAKING IT ONE OF THE LARGER DEMONSTRATIONS IN RECENT YEARS. POUL ERIK SKOV CHRISTENSEN, HEAD OF THE UNITED FEDERATION OF DANISH WORKERS (3F), TOLD REPORTERS THE PROTESTS GATHERED 110,000 PEOPLE INCLUDING 70,000 IN COPENHAGEN. ESTIMATES COMPILED BY PUBLIC BROADCASTER DR AND POLICE SUGGESTED SOME 70,000 PEOPLE GATHERED NATIONWIDE. IN ADDITION TO COPENHAGEN, PROTESTS WERE STAGED IN AARHUS, ODENSE, ESBJERG AND AALBORG. THORNING SCHMIDT SAID THE PROTESTS WERE "A PAT IN THE BACK" FOR THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS IN THEIR UPCOMING TALKS ABOUT THE PLAN, DANISH NEWS AGENCY RITZAU REPORTED. THE DEMONSTRATORS INCLUDED ORGANIZATIONS THAT OPPOSE CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT'S WELFARE PAYMENTS TO NEWLY ARRIVED REFUGEES. --MORE
