It was my first time out of Wales for 3 years after the loss of a dear one, so acted also as an inner cathartic symbol of release. We mere moved and angered as our coach past the remnants of Grenfell Tower, I sensed a collective sense of shame at the tragedy and injustice of the situation.
We joined an estimated 100,000 people from across the country in a protest that saw us gathering at Broadcast House and marching through Regent's Street and Trafalgar Square on to Parliament Square. in a wave of unity and diversity against Tory policies of austerity, cuts and privatisation and to remember the victims of Grenfell Tower, and demanding an end to the Conservative Government.
As opposed to previous demonstrations I felt a real sense of hope, but so much more needed to be done to end the gross inequalities that run rife through our country at the present time. The most peaceful demonstration I have attended in the capital for a while, on a very hot day, with a carnival like atmosphere, though visible was a real sense of anger at the Tories, there were reports of sit down protests but seemed to miss them. Felt personally their was a possible need for more rage, The march's organisers, an anti-austerity campaign group The People’s Assembly, said they “need to make sure” the opposition to Theresa May’s Government is felt.
We witnessed Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn rounding on the Tories for uniting with hardline Northern Irish party the DUP and for the “hypocrisy” of praising emergency services in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower blaze. He said the Government’s refusal to lift the cap on pay rises for public sector workers was “absolutely unbelievable”.
A labour amendment to the Queen Speech to end cuts to emergency services and the 1 per cent pay cap were defeated in the Commons on Wednesday evening.https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/the-politics-of-cruelty.html
In front of a mass of people chanting "Oh Jeremy Corbyn" the Labour leader said: "I say to any public sector workers in Northern Ireland or anywhere else - don't have any illusions in these people, when they started the austerity programme they meant it and they meant it to carry on.
they started the austerity programme they meant it and they meant it to carry on.
"And carry on with a growing gap between the richest and poorest in our society, with a growing impoverishment of those at the bottom, a growing under-funding of local government, health, education and all the other things that we all need in a civilised society."
He added: “The utter hypocrisy of Government ministers and others who queued up in the chamber over there in the House of Commons to heap praise on the emergency services, the following day to cut their wages by refusing to lift the pay cap," he said.
"The hypocrisy is absolutely unbelievable."
John McDonnell also spoke to the crowds and vowed to support the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire. At least 80 people are believed to have been killed when a huge blaze broke out at the high-rise tower block on Wednesday, June 14, with the number undoubtedly rising as more details emerge.
.Mr McDonnell said: "To the victims of Grenfell Tower we pledge now, we will stand with you and your families all the way through.
"Grenfell Tower symbolised for many everything that's gone wrong in this country since austerity was imposed upon us."
There was also a minute’s silence for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire and a minute’s applause for the emergency services.
I do not believe that Jeremy Corbyn is the messiah like some I witnessed, but believe he as at least drawn people together, that I have not seen before. We must continue to keep ranking up the pressure on this rabid and out of control Tory Government, currently only hanging on by a thread, propped up the equally obnoxious DUP. We should remember that Austerity actually kills. This is just the beginning. We must keep resisting.
Having set off from my home at 4.30 in the morning, did not get through front door until about 12.30 p.m, tired and exhausted but glad to have met friends old and new, who provided much strength, will continue to keep on fighting back with others.I do not believe that Jeremy Corbyn is the messiah like some I witnessed, but believe he as at least drawn people together, that I have not seen before. We must continue to keep ranking up the pressure on this rabid and out of control Tory Government, currently only hanging on by a thread, propped up the equally obnoxious DUP. We should remember that Austerity actually kills. This is just the beginning. We must keep resisting.
Jeremy Corbyn Full Speech At the #ToriesOut Protest Rally in London 1st July 2017
