On Wednesday, 3,000,000 public sector workers from 30 unions will be on strike, the biggest walkout since the General Strike of 1926. As part of the day of action against public sector cuts thousands of workers, students, unemployed and pensioners are expected to march to a rally at the NIA in Birmingham. The march will begin at 11:30am at Lionel Street Car Park.

However unions claim they have been told by the city council that anyone staging a march must cover the costs and therefore they must pay a charge of £8,000 if the march goes ahead.

For previous demonstrations of a similar size and route they were only charged a few hundred pounds.

A statement from the Con-Dem Birmingham City Council, said it was "willing to agree a route to allow the march to go ahead subject to an acceptable route and a commitment to cover any traffic management costs."

This is part of what seems to be an on going strategy by Birmingham City Council and Police to repress all forms of protest and dissent over public sector cuts. As reported last month  https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2011/10/486177.html three students protesting tuition fees were arrested for displaying a banner on the bridge connecting the Hyatt hotel over Broad Street the day before the Lib Dem conference. One of them was then held for over ten days in prison for a minor road traffic charge which was latter dropped. The march against the Lib Dem conference which was a similar route to the demo on the 30th was also over policed with armed police and 7ft steel road blocks ensuring the demo didn't deviate from the tightly controlled route.

Details of known Pickets, Demonstrations and Rallies happening around the West Midlands  https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2011/11/488788.html