400,000 join TUC's anti-cuts March for the Alternative in London

March 26, 2011

ernative-in-london

The TUC's March for the Alternative saw more than 400,000 anti-cuts protesters

take to the streets of London on Saturday.

People angry about the coalition's public spending cuts and what they see as the

government's failure to clampdown on corporate tax avoidance marched from

Embankment to Hyde Park, where they heard speeches from TUC general

secretary n Barber and Labour leader Ed Miliband.

The event itself was peaceful, but some activists unconnected to the TUC used

the occasion to cause trouble in parts of the capital not on the march route.

A small group of young protesters, mostly dressed in black and with their faces

covered, threw smoke bombs and light-bulbs filled with ammonia at police

officers in Oxford Street, smashed shop windows, tried to storm a branch of HSBC

and threw paint at the Ritz Hotel.

Their behaviour was in stark contrast to the festival atmosphere generated by

the thousands of people taking part in the official demonstration, despite the

level of anger about government policy.

Those peaceful protesters heard Mr Barber criticise Cameron for the

'brutal cuts' that will 'hit the poorest and the most vulnerable hardest'.

In a well-received speech, the TUC leader said: 'The government claims there is

no alternative. But there is. Let's keep people in work and get our economy

growing. Let's get tax revenues flowing and tackle the tax cheats.

'And let's have a Robin Hood tax on the banks, so they pay us back for the mess

they caused.'

Mr Miliband was applauded when he spoke of the need to preserve jobs and public

services to help the country's economic recovery.

However, the Labour leader was heckled by sections of the crowd after stating:

'There is a need for difficult choices, and some cuts.'

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