TUC ‘March For The Different – On twenty sixth March 2011 between 1 / 4 and half one million individuals marched via London in opposition to deliberate public spending cuts by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition authorities within the largest demonstration because the 2003 protest in opposition to the plan to invade Iraq.
The TUC argued that what the nation wanted was not austerity however insurance policies that may develop the financial system, and that we should always elevate revenue from these extra in a position to pay reasonably than by measures that had the best impression on the poorest in society.
It was the biggest march and rally organised by the commerce union motion because the Second World Battle, and like different main commerce union marches was maybe largely worthy however not thrilling – and like others it achieved nothing. The cuts went forward and all of us suffered – besides in fact the rich – who continued to develop richer and richer, helped by authorities bail-outs and the deliberate failures to deal with tax evasion, cease tax avoidance loopholes and lift taxes on these with extreme wealth.
The cuts notably hit the general public companies, together with lecturers, nurses and different medical professionals – and ultimately helped drive these areas into the crucial circumstances that they’re now in. They resulted in monetary issues and extreme workloads and likewise meant that these of us who depend on public provision for well being and training typically failing to get correct remedy. The hole between those that may afford non-public companies and people who relied on the state provision elevated.
Notably exhausting hit by the cuts had been the disabled and for them the scenario continues to worsen with our now Labour authorities asserting big cuts which is able to go away many significantly worse off – and drastically scale back their means to steer regular lives and contribute to society.
In addition to the TUC, different teams contributed to the march, asserting varied feeder marches and different actions, lots of which added a bit life and color to the day’s occasions. Additionally they resulted in over 200 arrests and various accidents.
An excessive amount of was taking place on the day for me to rehash all of it right here, however you’ll be able to learn my seven posts on my London Diary for my account of occasions. I began with the feeder marches from South London, disowned by the TUC. The ‘Armed Wing of the TUC’ introduced its road theatre Trojan Horse, Spitfire, Tank and armed Lollipop Women produced by Camberwell artwork college students to Camberwell Inexperienced the place they marched to Kennington the place the South London Feeeder March was gathering for a rally earlier than the march in Kennington Park – the positioning of the ultimate “monster assembly” of the Chartists on tenth April 1848 from the place they marched to Parliament to ship their remaining petition.
I left there to take the tube to Trafalgar Sq. the place I discovered that the primary march had began early and was nicely on its solution to Hyde Park and I stayed round there for over an hour as marchers filed previous, together with photographing the Morris Liberation Entrance, an thought of Henry Flitton specifically for the TUC demonstration, with music, supplied by a few mandolins taking part in the Conflict’s ‘I fought the Regulation’ and the Smith’s ‘Panic.
Later within the day Trafalgar Sq. was the positioning of bitter combating as police made a largely unprovoked assault on a partying crowd, however once I was there issues had been peaceable.
I left the sq. to comply with a number of hundred anarchists, wearing black and primarily carrying face masks making their means up previous the Nationwide Portrait Gallery, many waving pink and black flags. I went with them via the again streets to Piccadilly Circus after which up Regent Avenue the place they turned off into Mayfair and had been held off by police after they attacked a RBS department – one of many principal banks to obtain an enormous authorities handout.
At Oxford Circus they attacked Topshop, then owned by the distinguished tax avoider Sir Philip Inexperienced. As I went to take pictures of police arresting one of many protesters and holding him on the bottom I used to be “hit full on the chest by a paint-bomb presumably aimed on the police, though most of the protesters even have an irrational worry of photographers. My cameras had been nonetheless working and I continued to {photograph}, however I had additionally turn into a topic for the opposite photographers.”
It wasn’t painful, nevertheless it was very messy and brilliant yellow. I scraped and washed the worst off in a close-by public rest room for round 20 minutes, then went out to take extra pictures, becoming a member of UK Uncut supporters who had come to carry peaceable protests at tax dodging outlets and banks round Oxford St and to occasion at Oxford Circus.
Ultimately I adopted them right down to Piccadilly Circus the place 4 hours after the beginning of the official march individuals had been nonetheless submitting previous. I finished there and photographed till the tip of the march handed, reasonably than going with UK Uncut into Fortnum and Mason. Contained in the story they sat down and occupied the shop peacefully. if noisily calling on them to pay their taxes. After an hour or extra a senior police officer informed them they had been free to depart, promising they may make their means dwelling “with out obstruction”. 138 had been arrested as they left the shop, charged with ‘aggravated trespass’. A lot of the circumstances had been latter dropped however a minimum of 10 had been discovered responsible, given a six-month conditional discharge and a £1,000 high-quality.
Even after the official finish of the march there have been varied different teams following the march route – together with a gaggle of Libyans with inexperienced flags, marching in assist of Colonel Gaddaffi. I walked again to Trafalgar Sq. the place there have been nonetheless loads of individuals round however all the pieces was fairly quiet, so I bought on the tube to come back dwelling and attempt to wash extra of the paint off.
I believe it was later when police made a cost to try to clear Trafalgar Sq. than virtually all of the arrests on the precise march passed off – in keeping with Google “Additional clashes had been reported later in Trafalgar Sq.. 201 individuals had been arrested, and 66 had been injured, together with 31 cops.” Had the police merely gone away individuals would have ultimately dispersed and there would have been no hassle.
Again dwelling I spent hours attempting to wash out yellow paint, however the reasonably costly jacket I used to be carrying was solely ever actually match to put on for gardening. The additionally costly jumper beneath nonetheless has some small traces of yellow 14 years and plenty of washes later, although I do typically nonetheless put on it round the home. Till my Nikon D700 got here to the tip of its life, past financial restore, a couple of years later I’d nonetheless come throughout the occasional speck of yellow paint.
Rather more concerning the day and plenty of extra footage within the following posts on My London Diary
26March: Armed Wing of the TUC
26March: South London Feeder March
26March: TUC March – Noon
26March: Dancing in Trafalgar Sq.
26March: Black Bloc Goes To Oxford St
26March: UK Uncut Get together & Protest
26March: The Finish of the TUC March
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Tags: 2011, anarchists, Armed Wing of the TUC, arrests, austerity, black bloc, Cameron, capitalism, cuts, dancing, extreme wealth, Fortnum & Mason, authorities bail-outs, iunequality, Libyans, London, march, March For The Different, Oxford St, peter Marshall, Piccadilly Circus, police, protest, RBS, road theatre, tax evasion, tax loopholes, Topshop, Trafalgar Sq., TUC, UK Uncut
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