Madrid

Social protest rallies were held in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and three other Israeli cities.

The Saturday night rallies, held also in Haifa, Kiryat Shemona and Pardes Hana, were called the beginning of nationwide social justice protests such as those that took place across Israel last summer.

Several thousand Israelis protested in Tel Aviv, with demonstrators marching from poorer southern neighborhoods to Rabin Square. At least nine demonstrators were arrested.

Hundreds marched in Jerusalem toward the Prime Minister's Residence.

After Athens, Madrid might be the most-scrutinized world capital this month, as global leaders anxiously train their eyes on the Mediterranean financial meltdown.

But while cultural offerings are taking a hit in other cash-strapped cities, Madrid is the defiant exception. From the lavish gardens of the Royal Palace to expanded hours at the Prado, visitors to the Spanish capital will see scant evidence of crisis.