A day of protests

Hundreds gathered at Parliament Square yesterday to protest the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill currently working its way through the Lords.

Protester at Kill the Bill Rally

Shami Chakrabarti and Bell Ribeiro Addy were among the speakers at the rally. The organisation of speakers was a little shambolic, as two sets spoke concurrently for no apparent reason on the same subject.

The demonstration then made its way to Trafalgar Square. Where they were permitted to share space with a Haitian event already rallying at the Square.

As they rallied a demonstration of thousands protesting the current situation in Afghanistan passed the Square and proceeded down Whitehall with signs that read: Save Afghan Women and Stop a Proxy Afghanistan War.

Protesters demonstrating about the situation in Afghanistan

Had it not been raining I wonder if turn out for all the different events may have been larger. Although perhaps the police bill and the situation in Afghanistan feel like a done deal to many.

Candlelit Vigil to commemorate 65,000 deaths

Roughly 30 protesters gathered at St Thomas’ Hospital Westminster Bridge at 9pm to light 65 lanterns, one for every 1,000 Covid-19 deaths.

The protesters spanned the bridge before moving off for a slow walk across it to Downing Street.

The group stopped twice on the bridge before assembling at Downing Street to read out the names of over 200 health care workers who have died as a result of Covid-19.

The demonstration was attended by a number of pacifist and NHS protesting groups including Keep Our NHS Public and the People’s assembly.

Demonstrators extinguished their candles at Downing Street after the names had been read out and dispersed, leaving the message that 65,000 deaths is a scandal.

EYE WITNESS Firefighter demonstration outside parliament

The FBU, the firefighter's union gathered today near parliament at 12 o'clock to protest attacks on pensions..

By 12 numbers had amassed to roughly 180 to 200 people, 40 of whom appeared to be waiting outside the pub and accidentally set off a police car alarm.

Attendees were mainly men, perhaps indicating how male centric a profession the fire service remains in the 21st Century.

At the early stages the Essex, Cornwall and Isle of Wight banner could be seen.

In full swing

By 2 o'clock the demonstration was in motion and moving towards the actual parliament building.

Numbers had reached around 500 by this point and by this time the Dorset, Wiltshire and Northern Ireland banner could be seen.

The protest, which coincided with a strike called over a row over fireman's pensions.

A number of placards denounced Penny Mordaunt, a Tory minister as being a liar because of what she had said in parliament about pensions and firefighters fitness.

It is noted that the police presence was notably smaller, almost non existent, compared to the EDL marches a few years back in area.

Badgers and the BNP

An anti-fascist demonstration against a march by the BNP began today at 12 noon.

Two groups of protesters assembled outside parliament and near the cenotaph in anticipation of a march by the British National Party.

These two groups then moved to make a line across the road at the cenotaph.

The line progressed slowly to the Oliver Cromwell statue where the protestors were met by a police line preventing them for progressing closer to the BNP demonstration, which was estimated at that time to number 200 in opposition to what appeared to be over a thousand anti-fascist protestors.

The protestors numbered among them representatives from UNISON, the PCS and Unite Against Fascism.

A changing mood

The mood of the demonstration was initially jovial with a festival like atmosphere.

It became more confrontational upon reaching the police line and closer to the BNP demonstration.

Events took a more worrying edge approaching 4 pm when both marches were due to be disbanded.

At this point it was reported by ambulance members and some legal observers in attendance from the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers that there had been some arrests under the public disorder act, though I saw no visual evidence for this.

Police a little heavy handed

From this point police behaviour developed a more threatening tone and at two point the police charged forward on the line of anti-fascist protestors seemingly with no provocation.

This was a line closely backed by families with small children, though there was no apparent injury.

This could be seen as a defeat for the BNP in that they numbered so few and did not progress to Downing Street.

There number had reportedly dropped to 20 by the latter point of the demonstration, but it is hard to tell given the large number of opposing protestors and the police cordon.

The police numbers were disturbingly high, there were thirteen odd police vans in attendance.

They also seemed to do little to charge the BNP with incitement to racial hatred.

And the badgers

A demonstration against badger culls were also at Westminster today, some of whom came to rather confusingly mingle with the anti-fascists at around 4 pm.

It was an interesting mix.