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Thousands protest against austerity in London

Author
AAP ,
Publish Date
Sun, 21 Jun 2015, 9:16AM
Thousands took to the streets against austerity in London (Getty Images)
Thousands took to the streets against austerity in London (Getty Images)

Thousands protest against austerity in London

Author
AAP ,
Publish Date
Sun, 21 Jun 2015, 9:16AM

Thousands of demonstrators have flooded London's financial district in an anti-austerity protest, the first major public protest since Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron won a general election.

Opposition politicians, trade union bosses and celebrities, including singer Charlotte Church and comedian Russell Brand, were among those marching on Saturday.

The "End Austerity Now" demonstration - billed by organisers as the biggest in years - will finish outside parliament, while a similar march will take place in Glasgow.

Protesters called for the halting and reversal of spending cuts imposed by the previous coalition government and further measures proposed by finance minister George Osborne.

"We have seen a huge impact on our work at primary school," said Sian Bloor, 45, a teacher from Trafford near Manchester.

"I regularly bring clothes and shoes for children and biscuits for their breakfast, just so they get something to eat.

"You can see how children are being affected by the cuts."

Placard-waving protesters marched from the Bank of England and filed past the nearby Royal Exchange, as the sound of drummers filled the air, creating a festival atmosphere.

Some of the placards read: "Austerity Doesn't Work", "No to Cuts", "Get the Tories Out" and "Austerity is Class War".

A wide variety of campaigners were at the rally, including those opposed to Trident, hunting, tuition fees, fracking, along with various trade unions.

"It will be the start of a campaign of protest, strikes, direct action and civil disobedience up and down the country," said Sam Fairbairn of organisers the People's Assembly.

"We will not rest until austerity is history, our services are back in public hands and the needs of the majority are put first."

Cameron clinched an unexpected election victory on May 7 that gave his centre-right Conservative party an outright majority in parliament for the first time in nearly 20 years.

The victory was widely seen as an endorsement of the Conservatives' austerity program and is likely to see a continuation of cuts to public spending as they seek to curb a budget deficit of nearly STG90 billion.

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