(VOVworld) – Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Lisbon Saturday in the latest demonstration against the austerity policies of Portugal's centre-right government, after gathering in Porto city one week earlier. 

A three-year bailout European Union and International Monetary Fund bailout program that ended last month forced stringent reforms on Portugal in exchange for 106 billion USD to avert bankruptcy.

To ensure it receives its final check of 3.5 billion USD, the government was due to present alternative reform measures by the end of June, while confirming its commitment to bring the budget deficit down to 4.0 percent of GDP this year.