Northampton SolFed teamed up with comrades from North London SolFed to join the anti cuts anti fees march in London today.
Hundreds marched past the houses of Parliament before heading towards Millbank, banners waving, amidts the cries 'You say cut back, we say fight back' amongst others. Approaching Millbank, and sensing the police were ready to form a kettle protesters headed off on alternative routes. After showing our faces (not too literally!) at Millbank, we too headed off for the Egyptian embassy to show solidarity with the Egyptian people currently engaged in their struggle against Mubarak's regime.
Having avoided being trapped by police lines again, we headed off to Oxford Street where we heard that things were afoot. Sure enough, we soon joined up with a group of UKUncut protestors who managed to briefly close two Vodafone shops, a Topman and a Carphone Warehouse. Of course, the police presence was never far away, but generally kept itself to blocking the entrances to shops (saving us the bother...) and minding traffic. At one point a group of police surrounded a young man carrying a red and black flag but the crowd soon surrounded them in turn and the protester was allowed to continue without further mollestation.
We were asked at one point whether there was any connection between the anti cuts protest, the protest outside the Egyptian embassy and events in Egypt. Of course there is. Both situations concern that habit of all governments to disregard the interests of the people they rule over, and to work against them, even.
The message about the cuts is well known: it's a clear case of paying the bankers, allowing the wealthy to avoid paying their taxes whilst attacking the wages of working people, cutting back on all kinds of benefits, cutting back on services and loading students with debt before they even begin to work (if they get the chance, considering that recent reports suggest 20% a unemployment rate for graduates!) What clearer example can there be that the government is over-riding the interest of the majority, of the working population in the interests of the rich?
Something has to change. We need to be that change.