|A group of over 1,000 citizens of Oxford marching down Broad Street in Oxford towards the Radcliffe Camera made an impressive sight, chanting and venting their anger at the cuts to the public sector, in particular those to higher education in the wake of the Browne Report. The march was originally intended to demonstrate to Vince Cable, due to visit Oxford today until he pulled out, the public anger at the cuts.
Following a brief march around the square those attending were not content to have their route and protest dictated by the police and so decided to continue past the agreed route. As the march progressed along its new route there were several attempts made to stop it from continuing, each of which was met with successful, peaceful attempts to walk through the police lines. Eventually the group succeeded in getting onto Cornmarket, attracting much attention from passersby and demonstrating the strength of feeling against the cuts, only to be met by a reinforced line which was successfully broken as protesters made their way to the Examination Schools on the High Street.
As protesters gathered outside the Examination Schools, which had been the original target of the march as Vince Cable was due to speak there, several short statements were made in support of the march and protesters dispersed peacefully into the streets of Oxford. One arrest was made after the end of the protest.
The march was an example of the strong anti-cuts sentiment in Oxford, displayed in the diversity and number of those who attended.