Alwaght- Thousands of protesters demonstrated in London on Saturday against austerity, racism and the new Conservative government. The opposition rally was the biggest major protest since the June 23 Brexit referendum.
Central London saw more than 10,000 anti-Tory campaigners on the streets and Black Lives Matter activists.
Organizers said it was an “emergency demonstration” against austerity, racism and the Conservative Party. It was first arranged following the Brexit vote.
Protesters carried placards that said: “Refugees welcome,”Defy Tory rule,” and “Cut war not welfare.”
The march, titled: “No More Austerity, No To Racism, Tories Must Go” was organized by various protest groups including the People’s Assembly Against Austerity.
“The message is very clear, that people are rejecting the Tories’ austerity policies. Communities are suffering as a result of them and the one way to end that is to get rid of the Tories,” one of the organizers, Steve Sweeney, told reporters.
The protest was joined by Black Lives Matter campaigners.
Meanwhile, a small anti-migrant demonstration of some 70 people, organized by the far-right English Defence League (EDL), was also held in central London.
The anti-austerity demonstration comes three weeks after the UK voted in a referendum and chose to leave the EU. Following former Prime Minister David Cameron’s resignation, Theresa May took over the post on Wednesday.
May immediately began with a cull of Cameron allies in her new Cabinet, although she gave three key roles for known Eurosceptics.
One of her most controversial choices May was appointing former London Mayor and Leave campaigner Boris Johnson as foreign secretary.
