There are two sets of protests going on today. Only one is directly highlighting the most pressing issue facing the country – the politically-motivated Tory austerity that has blighted the lives of millions since 2010.
Below is a live video stream of the event, organised by the People’s Assembly, unions and the Labour Party:
Do watch and share if you can’t attend in person.
The SKWAWKBOX needs your support. This blog is provided free of charge but depends on the generosity of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here for a monthly donation via GoCardless. Thanks for your solidarity so this blog can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to reblog this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.
The People’s Assembly does a great job. Sadly there are nearly a fifth of a million people who cannot attend this march.
Hopefully in the future historians will accurately record this culling of the poor and vulnerable and label it the mini neoliberal ideological genocide it is. Some call it the DWP Genocide.
The Tories, the right wing within Labour, the media and those who voted for this ‘conscious cruelty’ have blood on their hands.
Austerity, UC, privatisation, poor worker pay and conditions, job insecurity, incompetent, divisive Tory regime cruelty… real life issues impacting negatively on millions of lives leading to economic hardship, increased debt, increased poverty, punishment via sanctions, humiliating, inhuman bureaucratic systems, hunger, homelessness, constant threat of losing your home and even death.
These are real issues to protest. A march I fully support in spirit if not in person.
Good to see Gilets Jaunes speakers.
Here’s taste of what’s been happening in France today.
https://twitter.com/Ian56789/status/1084154367727620096
…and here’s an interesting discussion and information about tear gas.
https://www.rt.com/shows/on-contact/445373-tear-gas-chemical-weapon/
Yes well done everyone in London!
The Tories/Lib Dems with Austerity firstly gave tax cuts to millionaires, big business corporations. Hedge Funds, private landlords with multiple properties etc. so austerity was and is for US – working people!
The Tories & Lib Dems also changed local government funding rules to be based on population size only and not also on NEED (as per previous Labour Govts) resulting since austerity of cuts for mainly Nothern Labour councils of £6.9b whilst mainly Southern Tory councils havd gained £3.5b (apart from those who outsourced everything).
But as The New Left Review recently argues there is a Neo-Liberal structural decline in the US and I would suggest perhaps Neo-Liberals drive for cheap labour in the UK (restricting working peoples’ ability to purchase commodities) means the tiger is eating its own tail!
There is everything to play for if we stand by the JC leadership – if there is a GE and we win it could possibly be a more exciting time than the 1945 Labour victory.
Solidarity!
I was there, cold but otherwise well organised at short notice.