An estimated 250,000-500,000 people descended on the centre of London, filling Embankment with thousands upon thousands of banners, flags and signs before slowly marching to Hyde Park. Speakers included TUC leader Brendan Barber and Labour party leader Ed Miliband.
The atmosphere was almost like that of a music festival or carnival, but behind the mostly peaceful atmosphere, thousands of people were venting their anger and concern at the proposed cuts that will affect millions. The Yorker was there to capture the march as it happened:
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The Yorker brings you some video highlights from RAG Parade 2011.
James Arden and Lauren McGinty bring you full coverage of York's third march against the proposed rise in tuition fees.
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Great footage! Wish I could have been there.
Why is there no mention of all the criminal damage and violent assaults that took place?
I love these lefties and public service workers. Run up a 900 billion quid bill and then riot when someone suggests we pay it back.
I personally didn't see any violence taking place. The main march went peacefully and smoothly, but I know Oxford St and Trafalgar Square got messy after I left.
Nice backing music. Guess the video's relatively good too.
Also, some cracking banners:
'Clegg, you lying tosspot'.
'Charlie Sheen won't take this shit'
'Who took the 'n' out of cuts?' true dat.
Banners were definitely the highlight.
I wasn't there, but from everything I hear Ed Miliband's speech was an epic fail.
I love the ones holding 'no cuts' banners. I want to know what brilliant ideas they have that can involve NO cuts!
reported 500,000 people present and only 201 arrests, to me that's still a peaceful demo! that's 0.04% disruptive element! the violent minority should get only 0.04% coverage.... 0.2 of the letters in this article or 0.1 of a second of video. To me this seems fair and representational!
Well demonstrations always work well - chief among them the Iraq war and tuition fee demonstrations.....
Think this article would be better titled as the march for no alternative! I am yet to hear any deficit reduction plan with actual figures - slower and less deep isn't a plan, it's just rhetoric. David Miliband himself has admitted that his policy is just "a blank piece of paper"
The reality is that this country can't afford not to cut now. Look at Greece, Ireland or Portugal where they didn't cut fast enough - they're being forced to put in place massive austerity measures which are much deeper than anything we're seeing here in the UK. Those who say we're not like those countries are denying history, just look how little confidence the markets had in our AAA credit rating before Osbourne's budget last year. Look at the 10 year bond markets, in the UK it is 3.6% interest, in Portugal, it's 8%. this country could not afford interest rates of that magnitude - it would create many more job losses than the current public sector cuts are.
It's very easy to oppose plans and a hell of a lot harder to actually propose plans - particularly when there is no alternative. The government is spending £400 million more per day than it recieves in tax income. Alastair Darling himself has told us that he would have cut deeper than Thatcher - no politician in Osbourne's position could make anything else but this choice. The only way to protect our economy in the long run is to make these tough decisions now.
@ #3: ...because it is every "lefty and public service worker" who was responsible for running up this bill? I guess your family have kept their jobs through all this?
and @ #10 - completely aggree
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