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9 July 2015

Search site for keywords: London - Solidarity - Budget - Parliament - Socialist Party - TUSC - Disabled - Austerity - Bromley

Bromley Unison branch secretary Glenn Kelly addressing members of DPAC plus Bromley, Barnet & National Gallery strikers, 8.7.15, photo Paula Mitchell (Click to enlarge)

Budget Day in London - Angry coordinated protests and solidarity

Paula Mitchell, London Socialist Party secretary

Four disabled activists were arrested as protesters were manhandled by police outside parliament at lunchtime on budget day, Wednesday 7th July.

Politicians for the rich were protected by aggressive police lines while they made decisions to hammer the poor. The abolition of the Independent Living Fund and changes to Employment and Support Allowance are just the latest savage cuts meted out on disabled people. People have died as a result of cuts to disability benefits and sanctions.

But far from being 'vulnerable', Disabled People against Cuts (DPAC) activists threw balls at Downing Street to say #Balls2theBudget, blocked Westminster Bridge and unfurled an enormous banner across the river from parliament.

DPAC block the road, 8.7.15, photo by Paula Mitchell (Click to enlarge)

Four public sector union branches coordinated strike action on budget day: Bromley Unite and Unison, Barnet Unison and PCS at the National Gallery, all fighting privatisation and defending trade union rights. These unions had planned a protest in Parliament Square, and joined together with the DPAC protesters, showing the solidarity we will need on a national scale to defeat the Tories.

Rally next to Parliament

Socialist Party member Glenn Kelly, Bromley Unison branch secretary, compered a rally in front of parliament. Speakers from each of the strikes and from DPAC were joined by RMT executive member for London Transport, John Reid, to report on the massive coordinated strike action of four tube unions that was due to start later in the day.

Youth Fight Austerity and TUSC representatives also spoke. Everyone agreed: if we can coordinate like this on a local level, why can't the national trade union leaders coordinate in a one day general strike?

At tea-time it was the turn of the 'heritage wardens' to flex their muscles as they enforced the ridiculously anti-democratic by-laws relating to Parliament Square: no amplified sound, no tables, no paper selling, no fundraising, no distributing written material! "You can hold your banners" we were told! Even Tory Westminster council was more accommodating and allowed us to set up a modest line of stalls on a specific piece of pavement.

Arrival of Youth Fight Austerity

Nonetheless, protesters were undeterred as a few hundred gathered for the People's Assembly 'die-in'. This protest was enlivened by the arrival of the brilliant Youth Fight Austerity contingent that marched to Parliament Square from Downing Street - only to immediately have its megaphone confiscated! An anti-austerity London mayor candidate will have to include fighting for the right to protest in their manifesto!

Later young people again blocked the road by parliament.

Young people block the road, 8.7.15, photo by Nancy Taaffe (Click to enlarge)

Socialist Party members and TUSC supporters also joined migrant workers at Sotheby's protesting at their ruthless employer. Cleaners have been banned from work after protesting for better sick pay!

Budget day was a declaration of war by this government of the rich. But it was met with a great day of action, brought to a conclusion by the start of the magnificent four-union tube strike.

Socialist Party members, TUSC supporters, youth protesters, trade unionists - we were all happy to end our day standing alongside the tube strikers at Paddington, London Bridge and elsewhere. As London ground to a standstill and the might of the organised working class was proudly on display we felt the message to the Tory Bully Boys was clear.

This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 9 July 2015 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist.

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