Protest and Survive, Part 2 - The Big March

Today was the day of the big anti-austerity march in London. I'd agreed to meet up with the delightful Mr. Glitz and his fiance Toni, but saying something is always easier than doing something. Not only were there scheduled maintenance works for the District line between Upminster and Barking, but C2C had joined in as well. This meant that I had to catch the train to Grays via Ockenden and then catch the Rainham loop train into Fenchurch Street. K.T. texted me to ask where I was and I texted back my situation and impressed upon him not to wait. Luckily, he was with others on the march.

I finally got onto the Embankment between Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridge and walked towards the front, keeping my eyes peeled. It was a HUGE march with thousands of union members, public sector and others.

Everyone was there, mostly Unison (Britain's biggest)

and Unite, but also FBU (Fire Brigade Union),

Prospect (professional engineers, managers, etc.), BFAWU (food preparation and retail), USDAW (shop workers), CWU (communications),

NUT, NASUWT and UCU (teachers and University lecturers), as well as ASLEF, TSSA and RMT, representing the transport industry. Even Equity turned up. There were also "representative associations" there as well, unions in all but name, such as the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives.

And no union march would be complete without a brass band:

My eye was caught by some colourful banners:

and some large carnival-style balloons:

But it was a little girl and her home-made placard which seemed to capture the spirit of the occasion:

Say it like it is, kid.

I finally caught up with K.T. and Toni in Hyde Park, but the day had exhausted me (I'm getting unfit now I'm in the car all the time), plus I had promised to meet some friends for a birthday drink that afternoon, so I didn't tarry long.

As a coda, my friends in the pub talked about the demo. One said that he would be more than willing to accept cuts in public services. The other asked, "Even the Fire Brigade?". "Yes," he said. "Even if it meant your house burning down with you in it because there's not enough firemen?", the other persisted. He hesitated a little and then said "Yep, even then!" Some people are just that stubborn!