The student news site of Guilford College

The Guilfordian

The student news site of Guilford College

The Guilfordian

The student news site of Guilford College

The Guilfordian

Thousands rally in London over government budget cuts

On March 26, over 250,000 people rallied in London against the government’s budget cut, the largest budget cut in the country’s history since World War II.

According to the BBC, the Trades Union Congress organized the main march.

The English government is planning on cutting 80 billion pounds, which is equivalent to $130 billion, from public spending. Prime Minister David Cameron and the English government are attempting to cut down the country’s deficit.

The budget cut is a solution to the government spending large amounts of money on bailing out banks, according to The Huffington Post.

A diverse group of people attended the rally, from school nurses to teachers, firefighters to students, and campaign groups. People of all different backgrounds, ages and viewpoints have strong feelings involving this issue.

“These are the voices of the mainstream majority in our country,” said leader of England’s Labour Party Ed Miliband to Emn News. “The duty of my party is to stand up for that mainstream majority.”

Public spending and budget cuts are issues that affect every citizen in England.

“My godchildren, aged between six and 14, are attending the marches with their mother,” Daniel Kent, a citizen of the U.K., told the BBC.

“It shows that the people involved are genuine, concerned citizens, protecting not only the welfare of themselves but the welfare of the future, as well,” said Kent. “These protesters are real and must be heard.”

This issue affects every generation, and children especially, because spending issues can lead to issues for future generations

According to Fox News, this is the largest rally in London since the rallies against the Iraq war eight years ago.

Most of the protesters marched peacefully, according to police. However peaceful the rally was, however, more than 200 people were arrested.

“My husband and I were on the march,” Elaine Graham told the BBC. “We were near the front of the protesters, and — although everyone was peaceful — they were very angry.”

As Graham described the rally: “As we passed Downing Street, people showed their frustration and anger by making noise and shouting toward Number 10 (home and workplace of the Prime Minister). The messages on the placards were deeply felt … ‘What am I to do now’? The simplest of all — but it said it all — was ‘Listen.'”

A few people were injured and hospitalized, including five police officers, reported Fox.

It was reported by Fox that a small group of masked people branched off from the protest and were seen violently vandalizing stores and throwing light bulbs filled with ammonia at police. Many of the violent protesters were claimed to be anarchists.

Prior to the protest, Miliband worried that it would result in anarchy.

“I don’t think the activities of a few hundred people should take the focus away from the hundreds of thousands of people who have sent a powerful message to the government today,” said T.U.C.’s General Secretary Brendan Barber to The Huffington Post.

“Ministers should now seriously reconsider their whole strategy after today’s demonstration. This has been Middle Britain speaking,” said Barber to CBS News.

The British people are hurt and angered by the decisions their government is making regarding how their money is being spent. However, the more important issue surrounds the apparent lack of financial support being for things many people feel strongly about.

“They shouldn’t be taking money from public services,” said Alison Foster, a 53-year-old schoolteacher. “What have we done to deserve this? Yes, they are making vicious cuts. That’s why I’m marching, to let them know this is wrong.”

The enormous turnout of people shows this is a serious issue that cannot be ignored by the British government. The people are angry about the way their money is being spent — or, in this case, the way money is not being spent at all.  

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

The Guilfordian intends for this area to be used to foster healthy, thought-provoking discussion. Comments are expected to adhere to our standards and to be respectful and constructive. As such, we do not permit the use of profanity, foul language, personal attacks, or the use of language that might be interpreted as libelous. Comments are reviewed and must be approved by a moderator to ensure that they meet these standards. The Guilfordian does not allow anonymous comments, and requires a valid email address. The email address will not be displayed but will be used to confirm your comments.
All The Guilfordian Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *