Reuters/Paul Hanna

Reuters/Paul Hanna

Reuters/Andrea Comas

The organizers of the protest dubbed their movement ‘Surround Congress,’ and expressed hopes that thousands would turn out. The protestors called themselves ‘indignants’ and claimed that their democracy had been ‘kidnapped,’ calling for new elections and rallies against the austerity measures enacted by Mariano Rajoy’s government.

Some 200 demonstrators gathered near the city’s main railway station chanting “Rescue democracy,” and “This is not a crisis, it’s a swindle.”

Reuters/Susana Vera

Reuters/Susana Vera

Another 100 protesters were scattered across the city’s main square, the Plaza de Espana.

“This is not a real democracy. This is a democracy kidnapped by the parties in collaboration with the economic powers and the people have no say in it,” said Romula Barnares, a 40-year-old artist wearing sunglasses with a dollar sign on one lens and a euro sign on another.

AFP Photo/Pierre-Philippe Marcou

AFP Photo/Pierre-Philippe Marcou

AFP Photo/Pierre-Philippe Marcou

Protestors gather close to Spain's Parliament ahead of a demonstration in Madrid September 25, 2012. (Screenshots from AP video)

But Miguel-anxo Murado, a journalist and writer, told RT that he thought their demands are too vague and that they would not be successful, “it seems that they are back with the same very vague and ambitious platform and in-fact they have been over shadowed by a different constitutional challenge, which is for the independence movement in Catalonia, which is more likely to change the constitution, although in a different way, so I’m afraid they will probably not have a huge success today.”

Spain is in the middle of its second recession in two years, and faces a 25 percent unemployment rate.

Madrid, September 25, 2012. (Screenshots from AP video)

Madrid introduced the controversial austerity measures in a gesture meant to show that it intends to fix its debt and budgetary shortfalls. The European Central Bank granted Spain a 100 billion euro rescue loan for its banks, but the country has not decided whether to seek another bailout.

Europe’s financial leaders are pleading for Spain to reduce volatility in its markets by deciding whether or not to request the second loan.

During a September 15 protest, waves of some 50,000 anti-austerity demonstrators converged in downtown Madrid, blowing whistles and hoisting banners that read, “They are destroying the country, we must stop them.”Representatives from over 230 civic and professional organizations also turned out amid cries of “lies,” and “enough.”

Protestors gather close to Spain's Parliament ahead of a demonstration in Madrid September 25, 2012. (Image from twitter user @sofalizacion)

Madrid, September 25, 2012. (Screenshots from AP video)

People gather at the Plaza Espana square before taking part in a demonstration organized by "indignant" protesters to decry an economic crisis they say has "kidnapped" democracy, on September 25, 2012 in Madrid. (AFP Photo / Dominique Faget)

A man holds a placard reading "Spain on sale" during a demonstration by Spain's "indignant" protesters to decry an economic crisis they say has "kidnapped" democracy, on September 25, 2012 in Madrid. (AFP Photo / Dominique Faget)

Protestors gather close to Spain's Parliament ahead of a demonstration in Madrid September 25, 2012. (Reuters / Andrea Comas)