Thousands of police demand pay hike at tense Madrid demo

Thousands of national police held a tense demonstration in Madrid on Tuesday, demanding salaries in line with those of their better-paid counterparts in other Spanish regions.

Dressed in civilian clothes, most wearing black-and-white Anonymous masks, they gathered outside the parliament, shouting, whistling and firing flares, some engaging in minor scuffles with the officers drafted in to secure the demonstration.

Police sources said "at least 2,000" demonstrators joined the protest, some carrying banners reading "We're sick of it", others wearing slogans reading "equal salaries" or even "traitors".

Unions called the protest over discrepancies between the salaries of the national police and those in the autonomous regions of the Basque Country, Navarre and Catalonia. Although they work alongside each other, the regional forces benefit from a more generous pay packet.

"The real problem is that for doing the same job, the regional police are earning about 600 euros each month more than the state police," said Pablo Perez, spokesperson for JUPOL, the main police union.

"It should be the same salary."