Activists from EastLondonLines boroughs to join TUC anti-cuts march and rally on Saturday

Pic: Alice Yehia

People and community groups from the EastLondonLines boroughs will join a national anti-cuts demonstration in central London today.

The demonstration, “A Future That Works”, organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) is expected to gather tens of thousands in a rally against all government cuts.

EastLondonLines will be running a live blog on the demonstration and will follow the stories of people and groups from the four boroughs who are taking part.

The march against austerity will follow a route through central London- starting at Victoria Embankment at 11am- and will finish with a rally in Hyde Park.

Goldsmiths, University of London students, the Tower Hamlets Co-operative party, Croydon TUC and the Hackney Alliance to Defend Public Services are some of the east London groups attending tomorrow’s protest.

TFL has said that transport will be very busy as a result of the demonstration, and that there will be various road closures throughout the day which will result in bus diversions.

Des Freedman, Secretary of the Goldsmiths UCU branch said: “We say no to austerity, but we should say yes to resistance.

“We’re not willing to be the scapegoats to this economical crisis.”

In a rally on Thursday night, entitled “Goldsmiths says no!” guest speakers discussed the protest, the increased tuition fees, welfare cuts and privatisation.

Jolyon Rubenstein, creator and presenter of BBC’s “The Revolution Will be Televised” said: “The fundamental issues we need to change are money and politics.

“I’m really impressed with all the people that will attend the protest, but I think the solution is to occupy. It has a much more stronger effect.

“A lot of people that I’ve met from all over the world are starting to call this a movement without a name. And it’s global.”

Lindsey German, from the Coalition of Resistance said that there are three solutions to help get out of the crisis without using austerity measures: tax the rich, pay people a decent wage and stop fighting “illegal and unnecessary wars.”

German concluded: “Saturday isn’t the end. It’s only the beginning.”

London Metropolitan’s international students will also be joining the demonstration. Syed Rumman, the university’s vice-president for education said: “We are standing against austerity and we will challenge the government on Saturday. It seems that Tories don’t want international students in the UK.

“However we do contribute to the democracy and paying taxes in this country.”

Danny Bates, from the Green Party added that today’s problems are unemployment and taxes. He said: “If you’re unemployed, you’re still a tax-payer.”

A spokesperson for TUC told Reuters news agency that they want to avoid turning the march into a violent demonstration. “We don’t want anything to detract from the message which we’re hoping to get across.”

500,000 people participated in March last year’s TUC -organised protest against government cuts and over 200 people were arrested.

The Met police have issued an advice document for those who are attending the march and for those who are planning to visit central London tomorrow. It can be found here.

Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour Party is expected to attend the TUC demonstration and speak to the gathering.

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