#ToriesOut: 1,000s join anti-government rally in London (VIDEOS)
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of London on Saturday to protest Britain’s Conservative government.
The rally, dubbed ‘Not One Day More #ToriesOut’, started at BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place and marched for hours through to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.
Enormous crowd in central London today. Great vibes. #NotOneDayMorepic.twitter.com/gEKSSK9rci
— Jon (@jplinnell) July 1, 2017
Protesters expressed their discontent with a number of Prime Minister Theresa May’s recent moves, including the snap election, the handling of Brexit, and striking a support deal with the DUP.
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was “determined to force another election” while addressing the crowd at Parliament Square.
Jeremy Corbyn: "Fewer working class young people are applying to university. Let's end the debt burden and scrap tuition fees!" #ToriesOutpic.twitter.com/YNJ9mphoxG
— UnitePolitics (@UnitePolitics) July 1, 2017
“We are the people, we are united and we are determined, we are not going to be divided or let austerity divide us. We are increasing in support and we are determined to force another election as soon as we can,” he told the crowd.
Protesters preparing for the huge #NotOneDayMore protest @Ruptlypic.twitter.com/3LvnyPGZAS
— Jon Scammell (@JonScammell) July 1, 2017
Corbyn went on to warn public sector workers, “in Northern Ireland or anywhere else,” not to have any “illusions” about the Tories’ DUP deal.
“When they started the austerity program, they meant it and they meant it to carry on and carry on,” Corbyn told the crowd.
Corbyn also accused government ministers of displaying “unbelievable” hypocrisy by heaping “praise on the emergency services” one day and then voting against a Labour amendment to lift the public service pay gap the next.
At least 10,000 people registered on Facebook to say that they planned to attend the protest, which was organized by the People’s Assembly Against Austerity (PAAA) group.
Covering the anti-austerity march through London today #austerity A lot of people here linking austerity with #GrenfellTower fire pic.twitter.com/hXiAvSxrDl
— Tom Burridge (@TomBurridgebbc) July 1, 2017
“Theresa May called the General Election to gain a bigger majority, and despite massive media bias in favor of the Conservatives, she failed spectacularly to deliver on that,” a PAAA statement released before the event read.
“Now the Tories are in chaos trying to prop up a government with the deeply conservative and regressive DUP," they said.
“We’re marching against a government committed to austerity, cuts and privatization… We’re marching for a decent health service, education system, housing, jobs and living standards for all,” the group added.
