Thousands in Britain Rally Against Austerity

by Stephen Lendman

Force-fed austerity in Britain, America and elsewhere is a thinly veiled wealth transference scheme - from ordinary people to super-rich ones already with too much, including benefitting war profiteers by waging endless conflicts.

The dirty scheme is grand theft by other means - robbing poor Peter to pay rich Paul, corrupt politicians profiting at the same time they betray their constituents.

The People's Assembly sponsored Saturday's mass protest. It calls itself "a broad united national campaign against austerity" decimating social justice in Britain.

It's slogan is "END AUSTERITY NOW." It's Manifesto states:

"There is no need for ANY cuts to public spending; no need to decimate public services; no need for unemployment or pay and pension cuts; no need for Austerity and privatisation. There IS an alternative."



"We need a government to reverse damaging austerity, and replace it with a new set of policies providing us with a fair, sustainable and secure future."

"We can no longer tolerate politicians looking out for themselves and for the rich and powerful. Our political representatives must start governing in the interests of the majority."

Protesters in London held signs saying "Smash Tory Austerity." "No More Austerity." "End Austerity Now: Take the wealth off the 1%." "Cut War Not Welfare." "Get the Tories Out."

New Labour and Lib Dems are no different - like Republicans and Democrats in America, in lockstep on supporting wealth, power and privilege at the expense of beneficial social change.

Thousands of protesters rallied outside the Bank of England. An estimated 250,000 turned out overall.

People's Assembly representative Sam Fairbairn said it's "the start of a campaign of protests, strikes, direct action and civil disobedience up and down the country."

"We will not rest until austerity is history, our services are back in public hands and the needs of the majority are put first."

The event highlights growing poverty, homelessness and inequality in recent years. Britain's New Policy Institute (NPI) estimates almost a third of the country's children are impoverished.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said "(t)his government is continuing to punish the poor for an economic crisis they didn't cause."

"It's time for all of us who oppose the government's self-defeating austerity programs to work together" to end them. "That means more protests."

Stop The War Coalition's Lindsey German said "I will be marching because I am fed up with all the main parties saying they are going to promote austerity."

"They have made the rich richer and the poor poorer and they're going to continue."

Tories and New Labour both committed to tens of billions more in austerity cuts when social benefit increases are needed.

Labour claiming a need to "secur(e) our national finances" is code language for transferring more wealth to Britain's rich and budgeting more for war.

Both parties and Lib Dems vow to continue force-fed austerity with new cuts in vital services.

Britain, America and Israel are the developed world's most unequal countries. Their ruling class elites never had it better at the expense of ordinary people, especially those most disadvantaged.

It'll take more than anti-government protests to change things. Nonviolent revolutionary action is needed - sustained for the long haul.

Not a sign of it in America. Maybe angry Brits can reinvigorate an Occupy Wall Street spirit.

A Final Comment

Britain is a police state like America. Laws in both countries violate core democratic freedoms.

On Friday, London's Guardian reported city police arresting activists ahead of Saturday's protests - on trumped up charges to help neutralize what's ongoing as this article is written.

"Critics have accused the police of staging a politically motivated crackdown," said the Guardian - "an attempt to thwart direct action" on city streets.

Activism for justice is considered subversive in countries like Britain and America - at times "terrorism." Unless people rally effectively in their own self-defense, expect full-blown tyranny to follow.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.