Thousands of off-duty police officers have been demonstrating in Portugal against cuts to their wages, pensions and welfare benefits.<br /><br /> They gathered in front of parliament in Lisbon, attacking the security cordon, guarded by their uniformed colleagues.<br /><br /> At least 10 people, from both sides, were reported injured during a tense two-hour long stand-off.<br /><br /> “I have been working for 27 years, with non-stop shifts,” said Amaro Rocha, one of the police officers taking part in the protest.<br /><br /> “It is a very hard life – always thinking about work, sticking to the clock, you work and you sleep. And in the end, the salary you get is not even enough to pay the taxes.”<br /><br /> Unrest had also marked a previous police demonstration in November.<br /><br /> Police have been hit by wage cuts under draconian austerity measures imposed by Portugal’s centre-right government in exchange for an international bailout in 2011.
