Organisers of a huge protest against the Government's public spending cuts tonight hailed the demonstration a "fantastic success" after hundreds of thousands of people joined the biggest event of its kind for over 20 years.

Between 400,000 and 500,000 teachers, nurses, firefighters, council and NHS workers, other public sector employees, students, pensioners and campaign groups from across the UK marched through central London to a rally where union officials and Labour leader Ed Miliband condemned the "brutal" cuts in jobs and services.


Protesters march down Whitehall in protest at government cuts

Violence flared away from the rally when a group of hundreds of activists, not connected with the union protest, clashed with police. They set off fireworks, threw paint and attacked shops in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly.

Topshop and HSBC had their windows smashed, while paint and glass bottles were thrown at a Royal Bank of Scotland branch.

Covering their faces with scarves, they fought with police and disrupted traffic, throwing lightbulbs filled with ammonia at officers and lighting a fire.

Nine arrests were made and some police officers were injured.

UK Uncut, an anti-cuts direct action group, later occupied the Fortnum & Mason store in Piccadilly, claiming the firm had "dodged" paying taxes.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said he "bitterly regretted" the violence, adding that he hoped it would not detract from the massive anti-cuts protest.

He told the Press Association: "I don't think the activities of a few hundred people should take the focus away from the hundreds of thousands of people who have sent a powerful message to the Government today.

"Ministers should now seriously reconsider their whole strategy after today's demonstration. This has been Middle Britain speaking."

Mr Barber said unions would now step up pressure on the Government, especially MPs in their constituencies, and launch a series of protests next week in defence of the NHS."

London Ambulance Service said 30 people were treated for injuries throughout the day, 11 of whom were taken to hospital, ranging from assault to collapsing with illness.

Commander Bob Broadhurst said: "The main march has gone very well. Their estimates are 250,000 - maybe more - have come to central London and protested peacefully. That has gone as we expected.

"Unfortunately, we have had over 500 criminals effectively attacking premises in the Oxford Circus area, causing damage.

"We anticipated there would be some problems. We have minimised the damage caused. We'll never have enough officers to protect every building in central London. it cannot be done.

"The actual march has gone according to plan. Those damaging buildings have had nothing to do with the TUC."

Mr Miliband, who did not take part in the march, told protesters at the mass rally in Hyde Park that he was proud to stand with them, adding that the Government was wrong to make such deep cuts in public services.

He was heckled by a small number of protesters when he said that "some cuts" were needed, but most people applauded his speech.

"The Tories said I shouldn't come to speak here today but I am proud to stand with you. People are here from all walks of life and different backgrounds, speaking for mainstream Britain.

"Our struggle is to fight to preserve, protect and defend the best of the services we cherish because they represent the best of the country we love.

"We know what the Government will say: that this is a march of the minority. They are so wrong. David Cameron: you wanted to create the Big Society - this is the Big Society.

"The Big Society united against what your government is doing to our country. We stand today not as the minority, but as the voice of the mainstream majority in this country.

"There is a need for difficult choices, and some cuts. But this government is going too far and too fast and destroying the fabric of our communities."

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, told the protesters they were bearing witness to services closing, old people going without care, libraries, swimming pools and parks going to "ruin" and young people heading for a life on the dole.

"But you represent a spirit of resistance in every workplace and community that says we are not going to have our way of life killed so that the rich and greedy can live as they please."

Mr McCluskey said that every time Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg stepped out of doors it cost police £2 million to protect him, adding: "We cannot afford that any more - if you were to go on a national tour we'd be bankrupt."

The Unite leader attacked the Government's "assault" on the NHS, warning ministers that privatising the health service would spark the same protests as those against the poll tax when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister.

He also urged Labour MPs to hold the Government to account rather than simply waiting for the next general election.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said the turnout was "absolutely enormous" and showed the anger of ordinary working people at the Government's cuts".

"We always expected a huge turnout because Unison alone has laid on 500 coaches and a number of special trains but the numbers are simply incredible.

"These are ordinary families and working people, many with their children to send a strong message to David Cameron to halt the damaging cuts which are leading to the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and the closure of services including libraries and care homes."

Demonstrators started arriving in London hours before the march was due to begin, turning the Embankment into a sea of colour with banners, balloons and entertainers filling the banks of the Thames.

Steel bands, choirs, performers and dancers practised at the head of the march as tens of thousands of people, many with their children in tow, blew horns and whistles waiting patiently to march through central London to Hyde Park.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls was heckled by some protesters when he turned up to speak to union leaders at the head of the march this morning.

He said Labour was determined to continue campaigning against the spending cuts and would create jobs and build houses if they got back into power, but several people shouted out at him "what are you going to do for us Ed?"

Education Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged the public concerns about the planned cuts but insisted that the Government would not be deflected from its strategy.

"Of course people will feel a sense of disquiet, in some cases anger, at what they see happening, but the difficulty we have as the Government inheriting a terrible economic mess, is that we have to take steps to bring the public finances back into balance," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

He said that there were "really big dangers" for Mr Miliband in addressing the rally at the end of the march.

"One is that people will say 'You are calling for a plan B from the Government, you don't even have a plan A.' More than that, you are associating yourself with a march which could, I'm afraid, move from being a family event into being something darker," he said.

A spokesman for civil liberties group Liberty said: "There can be no doubt that the official trade union-led demonstration was overwhelmingly civil, peaceful and good-natured and that the policing response was generally proportionate.

"However the demonstration appeared to have been infiltrated by violent elements who periodically separated from the main route in order to attack high profile commercial properties and the police before melting into the demonstration once more.

"This minority presented significant challenges for the police and trade union stewards alike and at times jeopardised both the safety and ability to protest of those with peaceful intent."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said five officers were injured during the protests.

Four were treated for minor injuries and one was taken to hospital with a groin injury.

Labour leader Ed Miliband tonight condemned the violence which erupted away from the march, saying: "Hundreds of thousands of people peacefully protested today.

"They are the true voice of today's march.

"I unequivocally condemn those who have committed acts of violence. There is no excuse for it. It is unlawful and wrong."

Treasury Minister Justine Greening was adamant tonight that the Government would not change course as a result of the protests.

"We do have to get on with tackling the financial problems we have been handed by the Labour Party," she said. "We are going to stick with the course that we have set."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/half-a-million-activists-join-anticuts-march-2253791.html

it turned bad at SOHO with a break away faction stoning police and stuff. Scary, change is in evitable every where.

heard shops are being looted

Riot: Police officers stand in front of a fire lit be demonstrators in central London last night



Police officers stand in front of a fire lit by rioters


 
Nightfall: Riot police form lines in front of burning dustbins as they try to control protesters run rampage after the TUC's anti-cuts demonstrations (left) and protesters occupy Trafalgar Square last night

Civil disobedience: Demonstrators use a giant road sign to smash through a plate glass window at the Ritz Hotel



Under siege: Anti-capitalist protesters surround Fortnum & Mason, climbing on the roof to daub activist graffiti before making their way inside


 
'Tax the rich': Campaigners claim they targeted Fortnum & Mason because its owners are at the centre of a £40million tax avoidance row



One rioter tries to break a window at a HSBC bank in Cambridge Circus, central London
 
Attack: Police forced back about 30 protesters, whose faces were covered by balaclavas and scarves, after several of the ground floor windows were smashed

       
A protestor lashes out after breaking into an HSBC branch in                   Police gave protestors every opportunity to leave of their own free will
Cambridge Circus     

Attack: A policeman who had paint hurled in his face by protestors

why do British protesters always carry back packs?

why do British protesters always carry back packs?

Many have been rendered homeless - so go around with the worldly possessions in the back packs.

Its not only Africans that get exploited - its good to see them expressing themselves.

But I would have been happier if they had stormed 'Buckingham Palace' and 'frog marched' a royal through the streets.

Sun of god:

Many have been rendered homeless - so go around with the worldly possessions in the back packs.

Its not only Africans that get exploited - its good to see them expressing themselves.

But I would have been happier if they had stormed 'Buckingham Palace' and 'frog marched' a royal through the streets.

Some Nairalanders living in Britain will not want you to see or say things like these o.

LOL

Sun of god:

But I would have been happier if they had stormed 'Buckingham Palace' and 'frog marched' a royal through the streets.

Lol.
On a serious note everything is taking shape. The world is being controlled to a certain interest.

There are only 2 ways for a government to 'raise' money:

1 - Raise taxes
2 - Cut spending

or the budget ship will sink faster than the titanic. Though I readily submit during the slashing there is often misplacing of priorities . . . nurses will get axed, and funding for jelly-fish research will remain intact - simply because someone in the govt. knows someone who owes someone.

Sun of god:

Many have been rendered homeless - so go around with the worldly possessions in the back packs.

No. In those backpacks, they have their food for the day and a spare set of clothes. They take the clothes because the police take photographs throughout any trouble and they can be identified by what they are wearing. They take the food because they come from quite a distance and are there all day. They come ready for a fight.
The people rioting were almost certainly not homeless. They come from either middle-class or rich homes. Fighting on the streets is fun for them. They used to do it at football matches but the UK government cracked down on hooliganism there and made it almost impossible. Now they hide behind demonstrations and use them as a means to be violent.
The UK has a long history of organised street violence stemming from the middle and upper classes. It's youth can be very violent for no other reason than for the enjoyment of being so.

JeSoul:

There are only 2 ways for a government to 'raise' money:

1 - Raise taxes
2 - Cut spending

or the budget ship will sink faster than the titanic. Though I readily submit during the slashing there is often misplacing of priorities . . . nurses will get axed, and funding for jelly-fish research will remain intact - simply because someone in the govt. knows someone who owes someone.

Yes like "cowboy poetry".

BTW, there is a 3rd way. Borrow.

According to the Daily Mail, many of the protesters are not ur council estate yobs, they are mostly middle-class, well spoken and from rich homes, I admire the way the whole thing was arranged via twitter, it's a shame big business like Top Shop, Vodafone, Boots and Fortnum and Mason evade tax, I support their cause but I don't support their violence, The owner of Top Shop avoided paying £215M in tax by employing clever accountants, Fortnum and Mason avoided £40M in tax and even donated money to the Conservative paty, Vodafone managed to avoid paying £6Bin tax while the owners of the Ritz -The Barclays Brothers who also own The Daily Telegraph do not pay a penny in tax, the list goes on and on, these people are all supporters of the Conservative Party, these are the sort of people that do business in Africa, but don't want to pay tax, they make millions in oil exploration in places like Africa but when it comes to paying tax they jump ship, Tullow Oil made billions from exploring oil in Uganda and later sold the oil fields for millions but refused to pay over £100M in tax, that £100M would have done wonders in Uganda, it would have built schools, hospital, affrica is exploited by everyone expecially china.

The owner to Top Shop, Phillp Green avoided paying £285m of tax. www.butireaditinthepaper.co.uk/2010/10/19/how-the-media-and-the-rich-collude-to-fight-the-poor/

thameamead:


According to the Daily Mail, many of the protesters are not your council estate yobs, they are mostly middle-class, well spoken and from rich homes, I admire the way the whole thing was arranged via twitter, it's a shame big business like Top Shop, Vodafone, Boots and Fortnum and Mason evade tax, I support their cause but I don't support their violence, The owner of Top Shop avoided paying £215M in tax by employing clever accountants, Fortnum and Mason avided £40M in tax and even donated money to the Conservative paty, Vodafone managed to avoid paying £6Bin tax while the owners of the Ritz -The Barclays Brothers who also own The Daily Telegraph do not pay a penny in tax, the list goes on and on, these people are all supporters of the Conservative Party, these are the sort of people that do business in Africa, but don't want to pay tax, they make millions in oil exploration in places like Africa but when it comes to paying tax they jump ship, Tullow Oil made billions from exploring oil in Uganda and later sold the oil fields for millions but refused to pay over £100M in tax, that £100M would have done wonders in Uganda, it would have built schools, hospital, affrica is exploited by everyone expecially china.

Haba!!! You should read other newspapers aside from the Daily mail. The DM is a has only one agenda and that is to create fear in people's minds. I wouldn't mind the cuts so much if only they could eliminate waste, which clearly they are not interested in doing.

As for tax, evasion, if i could get away with it I would too, slugging away and paying 50% of my earnings as tax is just not right


Another summer of discontent looming  

Sis
so you think its alright for one person to avoid paying £285Million in tax, am not a daily mail reader, its too right wing and too "we hate immigrants" for me but make of what you will about the daily mail, they are not in favour of tax avoidance of any form, am a leftie so daily mirror, guadian and indy is what i read if i feel like reading the papers.
David Cameron talks the talk but does not walk the walk, so much crap from him when he was in opposition, why are Chief Executives of Councils most especially Tory run Councils on over £170,00 a year, he wants them to take a !0% pay cut which is nothing, they should be taking at least 30% pay cut.

naijababe:

Haba!!! You should read other newspapers aside from the Daily mail. The DM is a has only one agenda and that is to create fear in people's minds. I wouldn't mind the cuts so much if only they could eliminate waste, which clearly they are not interested in doing.

As for tax, evasion, if i could get away with it I would too, slugging away and paying 50% of my earnings as tax is just not right


Another summer of discontent looming

Like you rightly said, these Companies are not evading tax which is illegal, they are simply reducing their tax bill using legal loopholes made available by British laws that you are only required to pay tax on Uk earnings only as a resident, which I would do too if i was in their shoes

thameamead:


Sis
so you think its alright for one person to avoid paying £285Million in tax, am not a daily mail reader, its too right wing and too "we hate immigrants" for me but make of what you will about the daily mail, they are not in favour of tax avoidance of any form, am a leftie so daily mirror, guadian and indy is what i read if i feel like reading the papers.
David Cameron talks the talk but does not walk the walk, so much crap from him when he was in opposition, why are Chief Executives of Councils most especially Tory run Councils on over £170,00 a year, he wants them to take a !0% pay cut which is nothing, they should be taking at least 30% pay cut.

The Daily Mail publication is okay and somewhat balanced, it is the Daily Express you need to avoid like the plague.

FYI, Fortnums paid more in tax than they made in profit, besides they are the third biggest charitable donor in Britain after the Wellcome Foundation and Sainsburys, giving more than £50 million a year to charity.

On your last paragraph, at least the tory led councils are willing to take 10% pay cut unlike Labour run council who prefers cutting vital services like library, disabled children's services, OAP's services, etc.

The Labour government are just a bunch of freaking hypocrites, they got us in this mess. When asked if they'd have made some cuts too if they had been in power, they said yes, so what gives

@Busy_body.
Fortnums gave a huge amount to charity but they still evaded paying £40M in tax, Big Corporations who sadly are supporters of the Tory Party need to pull their weight, they cannot continue to evade millions in tax, as well as football clubs like Manchester United, TAX EVASION AND AVOIDANCE needs to stop most especially in Africa.

I agree with you LABOUR PARTY ARE BLOODY HYPOCRITES but they are no longer in government, they have past their sell-by date but the CONDEMS are worse than Labour, the CONDEMS Ministers are cutting services for the elderly left, right and centre when most of them were claming all sorts of expenses before the telegraph made their expenses claims public, they were all at it especially Tory Mp's switching they second homes to their first homes to avoid paying tax, some even managed to build a propery porfolio in the process, David Cameron was the worst claiming the maximum for his second homes in Oxford, they are all hypocrites.

montelik:

Yes like "cowboy poetry".

BTW, there is a 3rd way. Borrow.

haha, Touché!