Some 8000 miners have stretched their protest against coal industry subsidy cuts two weeks beyond scheduled manifestations, demanding negotiations on job cuts and even shutting themselves in underground mines for more than three weeks.

The recent escalation of violence illustrates the emotional nature of the workers’ backlash and the hardening of tactics by both police and strikers.

“We have been using lengths of pipe to aim skyrockets, slings, golf ball launchers and even a homemade device to fire potatoes to keep the police away,” miner Gerardo Cienfuegos told the Associated Press.

Jose Angel Fernandez of the General Workers’ Union said that protestors began using violence because riot police attacked them with tear gas and baton charges.

The worst clashes have so far been in the country’s northern coal mining region, including the provinces of Leon and Asturias.

Anibal Vazquez, a lifetime miner now mayor of the town of Mieres in Asturias, told the AP subsidy cuts would kill an integral part of the economy.

“The cuts proposed by the government will mean the death of mining here and the end of hope for many youngsters new to mining,” he said.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has stood behind the austerity measures which he said would allow the country to emerge from the financial crisis.

Spain remains one of Europe’s few hot spots for coal production and demand but suffers the highest unemployment rate in the eurozone at 24.4%.