March 26, 2011, time 11:30 in central London and the atmosphere is lively but friendly. In Russell Square groups of students and unionists are marching towards the West End holding placards, flags, playing music – there are also Scottish bagpipes making an appearance. The police presence is obvious – there are police officers on the ground and police vans. It is becoming obvious to the observers that this is going to be a massive rally.
A man from the crowd holding a loudspeaker calls out as the groups of marchers stream along Russell Square hotels: “If there are any tourists watching, come join us. You’ll see places of London you’ve never seen before.” Diverse groups of people are marching by: unionists, families, students, youths with covered faces, elderly ladies, people in wheelchairs.
At 13:30 in Regent Street towards Oxford Circus the crowd of Saturday shoppers is not as dense as usual. There are police keeping an eye on the marchers proceeding towards Marble Arch from adjoining streets. Helicopters are hovering above, the sound creating a somewhat tense atmosphere. BBC reports that crowds were booing as they went past Number 10 Downing Street while in Whitehall thousands of demonstrators banged drums and shouted anti-cut slogans.
Towards Oxford Circus police advised the Apple Store to close one set of doors and monitor entry and exit of customers. Around 14:00 there was heavy police presence in and around Oxford Circus tube station with officers wearing fluorescent jackets and several police vans. Will there be kettles? The Trade Union Congress (TUC) had said that it had planned this march months before and had cooperated with the police to ensure it would be peaceful.
This remains to be seen. Already The Guardian is reporting clashes between police and splinter groups in Oxford Street. Top Shop in Oxford Street was attacked with paint and some shops were shut down. In Piccadilly along Shaftesbury Avenue some protesters attacked a HSBC bank with bricks and traffic cones, while Labour leader, Ed Milliband has been speaking at the rally in London’s Hyde Park.
The march and demonstration is in progress. According to The Guardian around 400,000 have joined the TUC rally against the government’s spending cuts. The same newspaper reports this anti-cuts march is the largest protest since the one against the Iraq war. It certainly looks that way to any observer walking in central London. The government cuts mean that many publicly-funded services across Britain are going to suffer. The workers, students and public who demonstrate at central London know this very well.
Sources
- "Anti-cuts march: Tens of thousands at London protest", BBC News, 27 March 2011 (accessed 27 March 2011).
- "Anti-cuts march swells to 400,000", The Guardian, 27 March 2011 (accessed 27 March 2011).
Lito Apostolakou - Lito is a historian with an interest in digital archives and online historical resources. She is the author of blog Palimpsest.
