March for the alternative

A march for constructive alternatives to the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government's brute force approach to the "national debt crisis". Their policies are more appropriate to Dr Who than to Dr Finlay, they think that smashing the controls will save the ship of state from crashing. The first thing they should do is collect the tax dodged by their plutocratic friends and financiers. At the same time, let's have our money back from the banks now that they are swimming in it. "The country" or the government, depending on how you look at it, is in terrible debt, presumably to banks of some sort ultimately, because they have had to support banks to the tune of hundreds of billions of pounds. They are borrowing from banks to give to banks and their only plan is to take more money from the poor and hard up.

The march passing by Green Park

Speakers in Hyde Park estimated the crowd at half a million. Hours after the start of the march, when Hyde Park was already crowded, a phone call from a friend confirmed that the march was still proceeding from Embankment, miles away. I passed by the Ritz Hotel and Fortnum and Mason's twice (I went back to meet others) and I didn't see any trouble whatsoever anywhere along the way. Yet, when I reached home and turned on the TV, the first thing I saw was reports about the anarchists running riot around town and attacking the Ritz, etc, with BBC reporters wearing crash helmets. The people with the official march are quite frustrated that the sideshow created by a few has provided an excuse for government supporters to turn up their noses at the protests.

Today's demo passing by the Ritz with no trouble of any kind

Most speakers highlighted the fact that unpaid taxes are more than the amount needed to solve "the national debt crisis". But since the banks are now raking in billions again, surely there is a way to say to them, give us our money back NOW - we need it. They evidently are swimming in it as they give themselves million pound bonuses like scooby snacks.

All the leftist factions were out in force.

East London Mental Health Unison branch banner

Does this look like an anarchist riot?

Arriving in Hyde Park. Achilles in the background with big red flag.

Verdict on the government's plans

Audio: A fiery speech by Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union at the demo today, introduced by Tony Robinson

Steve Moran