Protestors demanded an end to youth unemployment. Photo: Rhiannon Bury

Hundreds of protesters marched through central London on Saturday to demonstrate against youth unemployment and unfair working conditions.Youth Fight for Jobs, a national organisation, campaigns for a legal ‘living wage’, more training opportunities, and the abolition of university fees. The march was the culmination of recent London campaigning and ended at Downing Street where a petition was passed to Gordon Brown.

Suzanne Beishon, 22, from Hackney sits on the steering committee Youth Fight for Jobs, and was one of the six people to pass the ten-thousand name petition to the Prime Minister.

Ms Beishon said: “This march was part of an ongoing drive to help jobless young people in London. I’m unemployed, it’s really hard for everyone now.”

“We’re doing a lot of work in east London to work with local charities. DayMer, a Turkish and Kurdish charity, has just become affiliated with YFJ. They have a big festival in Hackney every year and we’re hoping to get involved in that.”

East London in particular suffers from high levels of unemployment: Tower Hamlets is the second worst area in the country with joblessness at 11.9 per cent.

Around one thousand people participated in the demonstration, with more joining along the route. Passersby commented on the ‘angry’ mood of the protestors. Sean Figg, Youth Fight for Jobs’ national organiser, said: “Of course young people are angry at the expectation that they suffer for the bankers’ crisis.”

The next march is planned for March 2010.