Photo: Liliana Ciobanu

Over 600 people attended a rally organised by the Hackney Alliance to Defend Public Services on Saturday, marching from Stoke Newington Road to the town hall.

Proposed cuts to Hackney Council’s budget have put more than 800 jobs in local services under threat.

Andy Stone, a sixth-form teacher attending the protest said that teenagers and youths are going to be affected the most by these local council budget cuts, as the services that support them lose funding.

After an address by organizer Julie Waterson, the procession marched on Hackney town hall, singing protest songs, handing out leaflets and speaking to passers-by en route.

Richard Payne, a lecturer at London Metropolitan University said: “These budget cuts will impact hugely on the elderly, teenagers and people with disability. People here today are not directly affected by it. It is people in poverty that are under threat. We are here on behalf of those people.”

Waterson, who is co-chair of the Hackney Alliance to Defend Public Services said: “We are here today to say that cutting the council budget will mean cuts to jobs and services in Hackney. More than 800 council jobs could be lost. It’s our jobs, our services and our education. These plans are attacking us.”

“Nearly 600 people participated in today’s protest and I think that’s really positive.” she said.

Hackney Council will vote on the proposed budget on March 2; their decision will be announced on the same day.

Video by Liliana Ciobanu