CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Thousands of workers, teachers and civil servants are marching through downtown Casablanca to protest austerity plans put in place by the Moroccan government to control runaway spending.

An estimated 8,000 people heeded the call from this North African country’s three main labor unions on Sunday to march through the country’s economic capital. Demonstrators are angry about energy subsidy cuts and their falling standard of living.