Demonstrators converged in front of the BBC headquarters in central London to demand an end to belt-tightening that has led to cuts in spending for public services.
Signs read “No More Austerity”, “Cuts Cost Lives” and “Tories Out.”
After holding a minute’s silence in honour of the victims of a deadly fire in London, which killed at least 80 people, and staging a round of applause for the emergency services, protesters headed towards Parliament Square. Main opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn was expected to address the rally.The union-backed march was organised a day after the June 14 Grenfell Tower inferno in west London.
An investigation into the fire is underway, but critics blame lax standards and cost-cutting, which they say is a consequence of austerity.
The prime minister narrowly survived a confidence vote on Thursday thanks to the support of Northern Ireland’s ultra-conservative DUP party.
Their deal has been attacked by both Labour and some of May’s own Conservative MPs, in part because the DUP secured an extra billion pounds ($1.3 billion) in state aid for Northern Ireland.
A day earlier, the government had also narrowly voted down a Labour party amendment to its legislative programme — known as the Queen’s Speech — calling for an end to a six-year cap on public sector pay. — AFP
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