(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - More than 200 hundred thousand people attended the rally to protest the government plan to cut 1500 Civil Parishes throughout the country.
Civil Parishes are small administrative units located all over Portugal, who are acting as district municipality and urban governmental divisions for communities.
Protester says that the reforms will cause the rural population to lose the chance of raising their voices when defending their interests.
The administrative reforms are part of the austerity measures adopted by the Portuguese government to show its commitment to the European Union and the International Monetary Fund for providing a 70 billion Euros loan to the country.
Portugal is the third country to succumb to financial troubles in the euro zone debt crisis and seek funding assistance after Greece and Ireland.
Portugal has been under financial support from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund since April and has to show its full commitment to the bailout plan to the borrowers.
/106
