BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — Some 10,000 workers from across the European Union protested outside a summit of EU leaders yesterday, demanding they end years of austerity and focus instead on curbing runaway unemployment with more spending. The protest in frost and snow just outside EU headquarters vented frustration over spending cuts and tax hikes imposed by the bloc's governments to deal with the debt crisis. Trade unions and an increasing number of economists say austerity has inflicted severe economic pain — the economy of 17 EU countries that use the euro are stuck in recession and joblessness is at a record high.
