http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election2001/images/0,,449826,00.html)
front of the queue
some sobering figures
austerity isn't working
downing street
can't pay banner
taxing our patience
queuing
riding through the glen (tobin tax activists)
PCS banner
dole money
the chancellor's red case
trident protestors including bruce kent
crowd begins to move
as per the original ad, at the head of the queue was an "unemployment office". also at the front of the queue were some disabled activists from 'disabled people against cuts' (
http://www.dpac.uk.net/), who feel particularly targetted by changes to the national health service, new rules on disability benefit (policed by private company ATOS), and by cuts and privatisation of a whole swathe of support services. also in the queue were activists promoting the so called robin hood tax (or tobin tax on financial transactions). across the road were bruce kent and other anti-trident protestors highlighting the cost of the nuclear deterrent against social spending. after around 30 minutes, people were encouraged to pass under the 'unemployment office' banner and receive mock dole money, and then they made their way down to parliament square. there however, they were told they could not go on the grass, and were given such a small area to protest in that they decided to move on, first to victoria gardens and then spreading around the media village at college green (aka abingdon street gardens) - report on this later.
Original article on IMC London:
