Jay Coward, South East London Socialist Party
Local campaign groups Shape and Aylesham Community Action held a protest march of 500 people, the likes of which do not happen often in south London.
We were opposing private housing firm Berkeley Homes building unaffordable houses and further gentrification of Peckham. Residents were poking their heads out of their flats, banging instruments, tooting horns, and cheering in agreement that their homes are not up for grabs by money-hungry fat cats.
The Socialist Party was out in force too. Interviewing people about why they were there, meeting people interested in our party, and selling our Socialist paper.
Southwark Council is run by Labour. Early into the demo, I had asked to get onto the speakers’ running order to share the Socialist Party’s view and support. But unfortunately I was told there was, apparently, “no time”.
Instead, we watched a Labour councillor – the very people the protest is making demands of – come onto the mic proposing 50% affordable homes in Southwark. But his own Labour council agreed only 35% affordable with Berkeley, which Berkley has reduced to just 12%! Campaigners say it should be 100%.
What next?
Despite not being allowed onto their soapbox, we still talked amongst protesters, posing the same question – what next? What about the next private firm that wants to build in a working-class neighbourhood? How can we combat it?
This protest was a win in terms of empowering the working class of south London. But we also need a mass workers’ party to fight to protect and restore tenants’ rights, build council homes, and wrench the power out of the super-rich into working people. The response to that was unanimously positive.
