Thursday 1 December 2011

November 30th Strikes


Wednesday saw possibly the largest one day strike since the winter of discontent. Members of over 30 public sector unions downed tools and took to the streets in protest over planned changes to their pension schemes. The government claims that as people are now living longer the changes are unavoidable, especially at a time of such economic distress, when the whole country needs to tighten their belts. Union leaders are arguing that under the proposed plans workers will have to work longer, pay more, and recieve less, and that it is unfair that the public sector should have to foot the bill for a crisis they did not create whilst bankers get away with huge bonuses.

Despite the aggression between the two parties running up to the strike, the protest was all in all a very peaceful day. Whilst the police weren't taking any chances, and making sure the protesters stuck to the planned route, almost all of the people there simply wanted to get their voices heard.
A paramedic watches over the protest.


Police block the entrance to Topshop.

Many people brought their families along.


Police covered the area around Westminster.
 Behind the main rally point, there were many police officers and riot vans to keep things peaceful around Westminster, although nothing ever really 'kicked off'. The police didn't have everything their way though, as some members of the Occupy London Movement broke into a building near Haymarket and dropped a banner from the roof. It didn't take long for them to be arrested, although a containment was put in place for quite some time in an attempt to subdue any more criminal activity.
Police contained protesters from Occupy London as they broke into a building near  Haymarket.

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