Portugal: 39th anniversary of revolution turns into austerity protest The celebrations for the 1974 "Carnation Revolution" in Portugal have taken on a poignant tone this year. People from all walks of life who gathered for the celebrations made comparisons with the country's liberation from a fascist dictatorship and the harsh situation many of them are facing today. One of those was José Mendes the head of police union who said: "It makes perfect sense that we are present because we also represent the people. We are here to guarantee that the constitution is fulfilled. Retired Colonel, Vasco Lourenco, who was one of the leaders of the 1974 coup said this is not what he fought for: I see the country in a bad situation so this 25th of April, as well as evoking liberation from fascism, must also be seen as a fight against the situation we are living today. Portugal is projected to suffer a third straight year of recession in 2013. As the jobless rate jumps to 17.5 percent, pay and pension cuts along with tax hikes have already hit many people hard. But in order to meet their bailout conditions the government still needs to make a further 4 billion euros in savings. More about: Anniversary, Portugal, Portugal's debt