On a wet and windy Saturday afternoon around 50 Bristolians attended a UK Uncuts protest to save the NHS. The protesters were drawing attention to the relation between the huge bank bailout and the cuts being inflicted upon public services. Shoppers milling about were receptive to the protesters, many dressed as doctors, as they handed out leaflets and spoke to passers-by about the banks and the cuts.

On a wet and windy Saturday afternoon around 50 Bristolians attended a UK Uncut protest to save the NHS. The protesters assembled in Castle Park before moving to protest outside the Bristol Broadmead branch of Barclays. The protesters were drawing attention to the relation between the huge bank bailout and the cuts being inflicted upon public services.

Shoppers milling about were receptive to the protesters, many dressed as doctors, as they handed out leaflets and spoke to passers-by about the banks and the cuts.

Barclays bank was targetted due to its policy of avoiding paying UK taxes, its underpaid workforce as well as being part of the sector that protesters explained took ?1,000,000,000,000 of public money after having destroyed the world economy. In the midst of a government campaign to convince the public that human beings must accept cuts to public services and a decline in the standard of living, the protesters were angry that we are also being told that it was necessary to give billions of pounds of public money to millionaires who refuse to contribute to the public purse.

On protester explained, "it's like Robin Hood in reverse. I'm amazed that so many people believe the lie that we need to make cuts - if that's true, then where do they find the money to give to the banks?".

Full Story | The Bitter Irony of Using the Financial Crisis to Scrap the NHS (UK Uncut) | Britain Before and After the NHS (UK Uncut) |Keep Our NHS Public | Landsley's Ally on NHS Reforms Faces Conflict of Interest Questions (Guardian)

A leaflet being handed out reiterated this point: the boss of Barclays takes ?11,000,000 per year in his pay packed, yet the banking sector is still receiving ?100,000,000,000 a year from the public purse.

At the same time ordinary Bristolians are facing ?30,000,000 cuts to services. A young activist explained "that's why we're here. Its about the banks really - somehow everyone has forgotten how much money they stole, and are being to convinced to blame the poor and the unwell for economic problems. It is such nonsense, but people believe it. We are here to tell them otherwise because the media won't".

After an hour or so outside Barclays, the protest moved to the nearby branch of NatWest. There were no arrests.