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Many thousands gathered in central London on Saturday, November 5, to demonstrate against austerity and demand change. The march and rally were a manifestation of the revolt of working people against being made to shoulder the burden of the economic crisis caused by the worn-out social system with the rich in charge and they reflected the demand that the people themselves must be the decision-makers. They were a manifestation that the way forward lies in the fight for the rights of all, including opposing the state programme of racism which comes straight from the Home Office. The march and rally also drew attention to the anti-trade union laws and the government's plans to multiply the ways that workers must be forced by to work by the implementation of police powers.

The "Britain Is Broken" protest was called by the People's Assembly, and supported by many trade unions and groups including CND, Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, as well as political groupings in which working people, especially the youth, militate. A contingent from RCPB(ML) participated with placards and distributing hundreds of copies of the latest Workers' Weekly [1]. The rain was not enough to dampen the overwhelming militant spirit of the protest as the march made its way from Embankment to Trafalgar Square, passing through Parliament Square and past Downing Street. Practically every participant carried a placard, and the shouting of slogans was non-stop. There were also many blocs with their banners, such as the Health Campaigners bloc and the Stop-the-War bloc, and groups carrying their flags were everywhere.

Speakers at the rally in Trafalgar Square included Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union - whose members had planned to strike on Saturday until the action was suspended on Friday - and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who said that the government would be forced to listen to protesters calling for improved pay and workers' rights.

"The government is of course eventually forced to listen, as are the rail companies, therefore they have reopened negotiations with the RMT," he said. "The people out here are very determined. They're not going to see people with disabilities discriminated against, they're not going to see growing impoverishment in our society." Corbyn particularly took time in his address to debunk the myth that inflation is caused by the demand for decent wages and the opposition to the driving down of wages by inflation and the cost-of-living. The blame for this must be laid at the feet of the rich and oligarchs.

Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), addressed the huge crowds at Trafalgar Square. He vowed to "strike and strike again" until a "fair deal" is brokered for rail workers. He told the demonstrators: "I want to guarantee you one thing - our dispute is paused, the action is paused to allow for talks - but this dispute is not over. We are pressing on for a fair deal for our members, on pay, conditions and job cuts. We will not stop until our members decide that this dispute is resolved. If we don't get a deal from Network Rail and the train operators, we will strike and strike again until we bring them to the table and get a deal."

The former Labour MP Laura Pidcock, now the national secretary of the People's Assembly, said: "This Tory government is now totally unaccountable, but outrage is not enough. We have to come together as a movement to organise on the streets and in our communities, and show that our voices will not be silenced and that we want fundamental changes to the way our country is run. We will not get that from the politicians. We will only get that from the strength of a united, vibrant movement of working class people coming together, building together and making change together."

Many other speakers addressed the attentive crowd with unapologetic demands for their rights.

Note
1. See http://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-22/ww22-27/ww22-27-01.htm

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