After the London Mayday trade union march up to 300 people took part in a roving anti-workfare demo with a banner reading "Workfare is Stealing Our Jobs", shutting down various branches of MacDonalds, Greggs, Topshop, BHS, Holland and Barrett and others including Boots, Pizza Hut, Greggs and more all along Oxford street and beyond. The protest was called by the London Solidarity Federations and supported by Occupy London. The final destination for Occupy London was to retake Paternoster Square.
There were reports of stop and searches and at least two arrests, and the odd scuffle outside shops with one woman being shoved to the ground by a female police officer.
Earlier people from Occupy London briefly set up camp at a road junction by Holborn, complete with a banner reading "Vote None of The Above" and were also hassled by police, police demo liaisons and heritage wardens in Trafalgar Square when they popped up some tents during the Mayday rally speeches. The behaviour of the cops drew condemnation from the microphone and later other speakers talked about the various upcoming actions including the 3rd May: Big Six Energy Bash, 12M: Meet the 1%, 15M: Drought of Democracy: Flood the British Bankers’ Association! and 26th May: UKuncut's Street Party.
Afternoon Timeline: (for earlier actions click here)
[15.35] TSG lunch break or preemptive policing for workfare demos? - pic
[16.00] Demo ongoing outside IPCC
[16.10] Arrest reported at Berkeley Square [pic]
[16.13] Group marching down Bond St
[16.15] Police helicopter circling around Bond St ready for workfare protests
[16.20] Police protecting macdonalds [pic]
[16.21] Section 60 - stop and searches taking place [video]
[16.25] People being searched outside Zara, Oxford street - reports of two arrests earlier
[16.30] Protesters gathered at Bond st chanting, "workfare employers, we won't work for JSA." [pic]
[16.33] collected pics of police outside workare protest targets [pic]
[16.34] Police FIT team on sidelines [pic]
[16.34] Various groups dotted around bond street area trying to shut down shops using workfare [video]
[16.37] More police at Bond St stn [pic]
[16.39] Moving towards Oxford circus, more people and chanting "no wages, out-reageous!" and "tax dodgers hear us say, we wont work if you want pay"
[16.45] Next MacDonalds gets picketed (291b Oxford street) and the Reclaim Mayday maypole has arrived [pic]
[16.47] Now into Oxford St [Pic]
[16.50] Another picture of Occupy London maypole [pic]
[16.51] "If you don't pay your staff we'll shut you down" Outside McDonald's Oxford Street [Pics: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ]
[16.55] Around 250 people on Oxford St targetting workfare exploiters are on the move again.
[16.55] Female cop (Inspector Karen Bradley?) just shoved a woman to the ground.
[16.56] Chants of "shame on you, shame on you"
[16.57] Police pushing and shoving - people chanting "no justice no peace, fuck the police"
[16.57] Heavy handed policing pushing and shoving boycottworkfare protesters outside BHS
[17.00] BHS store doors shut, protected by lines of police [pics 1 | 2 ]
[17.01] Unconfirmed report of another arrest near BHS.
[17.02] Big crowd now Oxford Street, more police arriving.
[17.03] JS Sports closing down early [pic]
[17.07] Passing Oxford Circus tube now
[17.10] Outside Topshop, protected by line of police [pics 1 | 2 | 3 ]
[17.15] Banner reads "Workfare is Stealing Our Jobs" [Pic]
[17.15] McDonalds just broke their own door trying to keep out workfare protesters, shutters down instead.
[17.16] Boots shutting down on Oxford St [pic]
[17.17] Shutters down - another McDonalds targetted by protest against workfare on Oxford St. [pic 1 | 2]
[17.18] Pizza Hut now closed as well [pic]
[17.22] Some people running down Oxford Street now, police in chase. [17.30] Over 60 cops protecting MacDonalds corner of Oxford st and Tottenham Court Road! [pic]
[17.35] On the move again police following playing catch up.
[17.36] Charring Cross Road now
[17.37] Pizza Hut at Cambridge Circus closed [pic]
[17.43] Holland & Barret on Charing Cross Rd shut and protected by police [pic]
[17.48] Heading back towards Trafalgar Square.
[17.50] Along the strand with a sound system.
[17.53] Another McDonalds, this time The Strand [pic]
[17.56] @OccupyLondon report: "Overheard on the strand. Police officer: let's let them do something and then we can nick the lot of them"
[18.05] Covent Garden now and Pizza Hut is closed [pics 1 | 2 ]
[18.10] Collection of shops and employers shut down this afternoon [pic]
[18.30] At Royal Courts of Justice [Pic]
[18.45] Back outside the London Stock Exchange! We are occupying PATERNOSTER SQUARE! Tents set up! [pics 1 | 2 | 3 ]
Original article on IMC London:
