Thousands from across the UK are expected to gather in central London Saturday in protest of government austerity measures. They’ll also call for the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron over revelations of offshore investment funds linked to his family.
The demonstration through the center of the capital will end on Trafalgar Square around 6pm.
The March for Health, Homes, Jobs and Education has been organized by the People's Assembly Against Austerity alongside several trade unions, including Unite. Organizers are demanding that David Cameron’s “vicious government” end its policy of austerity.
“They've attacked junior doctors and student nurses while privatizing the NHS. They plan to force all schools to become academies and teachers are now balloting to strike over pay and conditions. They've done nothing to address the growing housing crisis.”
Describing the situation as “unrecoverable” for the Conservative government if the public mobilizes against ongoing austerity measures, organizers urged as many people as possible to attend. More than five thousand people have publicly registered their intention to protest.
The government is being accused of prioritizing “only the richest in society, big business and the corporations” and the protest will concentrate on four main areas – health, homes, jobs and education:
Health
One of the main demands is greater investment in health workers, a concerted effort to end a staffing crisis, and a fully-funded and publicly-owned NHS. They are calling on the public to reject any cuts or closures to healthcare services.
Homes
Demonstrators are demanding that secure homes be made available for all, that social housing be left untouched, and for rents to be controlled.
Jobs
Protesters reject the Trade Union Reform Bill and insecure contracts. They demand a “living wage” for all.
Education
Demonstrators want tuition fees scrapped, cuts to education ceased, and the end to the “marketization” of education.
Following the Panama Papers revelations, in which 11.5m files were leaked from the database of Mossack Fonseca, the world’s fourth-biggest offshore law firm, David Cameron admitted that he benefited from an offshore trust set up by his late father. The revelation caused outrage and prompted calls for his resignation.
“David Cameron’s stake in his father’s offshore tax haven, proves that this is a government for the privileged few, not for the majority. This shows beyond all doubt that Cameron is divorced from the life of any working person” demonstration organizers said.
This will not be the first call for Cameron to step down following the Panama Papers leak; a separate protest took place in London last week, during which demonstrators chanted “Resign! Resign!” outside 10 Downing Street.