Protests say Oxi to Osborne

Fred Leplat from Barnet Left Unity reports on the protests against the budget.

Several hundred activists gathered outside parliament on Wednesday to protest at Osborne’s austerity budget, which promises pain for the poor, including those in work, and gains for the rich.

A promise of a statutory ‘living wage’, which is no more than a small rise in the minimum wage, will not compensate for the massive cuts in welfare and the removal of working tax credits. Meanwhile the rich will gain from a rise to £1million in the threshold at which inheritance tax kicks in, and business will see corporation tax reduced to 18%. Tax on business is already one of the lowest among the big capitalist countries, with Germany levying 29.65% and the USA 40%.

Speakers at the protest included Jeremy Corbyn, the only anti-austerity candidate for Labour leader, Natalie Bennett of the Green Party, Marina Prentoulis of Syriza and Kate Hudson of Left Unity.

Protesters held a symbolic ‘die-in’ to highlight the effects of austerity. Photo: Steve Eason

The People’s Assembly, which called the protest following the massive demonstration of the 20 June, released a thousand black balloons to highlight the deaths caused by cuts to welfare services and benefits. Tory minister Iain Duncan Smith had callously attempted to block the publication of statistics revealing how many people have died within six weeks of their benefits being stopped.

Earlier in the day protesters from Disabled People Against Cuts had blocked roads and thrown balls towards Downing Street as part of their ‘balls to the budget’ action.

Even though the police, undoubtedly on the orders of the government, had stopped the People’s Assembly from using megaphones, the speakers were not silenced in delivering an anti-austerity message. Later a soundsystem appeared which played the theme tune of ‘Zorba the Greek’, by Mikis Theodorakis, to which the protesters danced. Then ‘Get Up, Stand Up for Your Rights’ by Bob Marley was played, at which point the police confiscated the soundsystem!

Protests against the pain of austerity will not be stopped or silenced as too many are suffering. The Tories will not escape from hearing the NO, or OXI in Greek, to austerity as unions and the left now mobilise for the TUC demonstration at the Tory Party conference on the 4 October in Manchester.

Here are some photos from protests around Britain:

Bristol

Milton Keynes. Photo: David Emrys

Northampton

Liverpool