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Nadia Khomami and Tim Wyatt

UK anti-austerity demonstrations – as it happened

Protesters carrying anti-austerity placards and banners are pictured taking part in an anti-austerity march and demonstration in Bristol last month.
Protesters carrying anti-austerity placards and banners are pictured taking part in an anti-austerity march and demonstration in Bristol last month. Photograph: john Lynch/Demotix/Corbis

That’s all from me, so thanks for following along.

Summary of the day's protest

The march, organised by the People’s Assembly Against Austerity, began at the Bank of England at midday.

Tens of thousands of people then marched through London to Parliament Square. The organisers have claimed up to 250,000 people took part, but it’s impossible to be sure.

Last night, the police cracked down on known activists. Sources told the Guardian that at least three activists arrested on suspicion of offences at earlier demonstrations have been handed fresh bail conditions forbidding them from attending the march.

A number of celebrities and politicians joined the march: Russell Brand, Green MP Caroline Lucas, Labour leadership hopeful Jeremy Corbyn, singer Charlotte Church, and many others.

The event was mostly very peaceful. There were a handful of fires and smoke bombs set off, but no reports yet of any serious violence.

At one point, a group of masked marchers broke off from the main demonstration and crossed the Thames into south London.

The rally culminated in Parliament Square, where dozens of speakers slammed the government and austerity. Among those who spoke were Unite union boss Len McCluskey, Martin McGuinness, deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, Corbyn, commentator and activist Owen Jones, and lastly, Russell Brand.

With all the speakers now finished, the crowd are now enjoying some live music from the stage.

While those speeches were taking place, some of the protesters have set fire to something in Parliament Square and the police have moved in.

Here’s a video on YouTube which shows police officers trying, and mostly failing, to put out the bonfire started earlier by some of the protesters:

Updated

More Brand:

It wasn’t always like this. I remember growing up with strong unions and social responsibility.

We need to learn to talk to one another and recognise that our time on this earth is fragile and temporary. If we don’t build systems on the idea of love and togetherness the alternative is unconscionable.

Russell Brand talks to the crowds from the stage

Now Russell Brand is talking. In between some banter with the woman doing the simultaneous sign language translation, he has told the crowd he’s inspired by the numbers who have turned out.

I’m inspired to see such incredible numbers in this square after the results of the election.

My personal feelings about this movement are very, very deep. Without a welfare state my mum would have died of cancer several times.

I am personally a product of the welfare state because I signed on for eight years while I learned to be a comedian.

Updated

Next up is the comedian Mark Steel. He says that he hopes any Conservatives who thought the argument on austerity was finished after they won the election are watching this march.

I hope every one of them now is looking at this and thinking, oh, this is not the end of it.

A passing mention of Iain Duncan-Smith later in his speech brings loud boos from the crowd.

Labour have bought the argument that austerity is necessary too, Steel says. But in reality, it is utterly bankrupt he argues.

It is a squalid, filthy, decrepit attitude that says a tiny number of people at the top of society have every right to take the money and then to say to the poor ‘You have too much’.

Corbyn has just wrapped up his speech. Here’s a flavour of his closing remarks:

Let’s go forward with confidence and optimism. This is a movement, it’s absolutely not about ambitious individuals.

It’s a social movement of all of us that can change our society into something good rather than something that is cruel and divided.

Jeremy Corbyn has just taken to the stage in Parliament Square. He’s here, taking a break from the campaign to become Labour’s new leader, alongside fellow Labour MP Diane Abbott, who is running to be London Mayor.

This is the scene from earlier in Liverpool, where the considerably smaller anti-austerity march there ended earlier this afternoon with some actors putting on a free play.

In Derby Square:

Meanwhile, back in London, thousands of protesters are still listening to speeches in Parliament Square.

Updated

At the Glasgow rally, Scottish trade union leaders have said they will ignore any new laws passed by the government which limit strikes or union funding.

Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, and Pat Rafferty, Scottish Secretary of Unite, told the hundreds of protesters that “bad laws” are there to be broken.

The Tories have pledged to introduce new legislation which will require 50% of potential workers to vote for a strike, rather than just a majority of those who do vote. Earlier this week, the boss of Unison warned the government that it would fail in this attempt.

That’s it from me for today. I’m handing over to my colleague Tim Wyatt, who will continue to keep you up to date with all the happenings in Parliament Square. Thanks for the comments.

And here are some of your pictures from Glasgow:

George Square demo

George Square demo

George Square demo

We have more of your Guardian Witness contributions.

Caroline Lucas takes the stage and is welcomed by thunderous applause

Not sure where the rest of them are....

Rochdale branch. Standing up for what is right

Sisters Uncut bloc marching against life-threatening cuts to domestic violence services

Caroline Lucas takes the stage and is welcomed by thunderous applause

Wilson solicitors LLP and others campaign against legal aid cuts

Updated

Martin McGuinness, deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, told the rally:

It is David Cameron’s cabinet of millionaires - they are the people who are the real spongers. They are the people who are given free rein to live out their Thatcherite fantasies at the expense of ordinary, decent communities throughout these islands. Austerity is devastating these communities.

The Press Association is reporting that a group of around 250 protesters are also marching in Liverpool.

Len McCluskey, general secretary of the Unite union, is speaking at the rally. Here’s some of what he said:

If they think they won the war of austerity on May 7 they better think again.

If they thought on May 8 that we were going to disappear then they better think again.

Our fight goes on to protect our communities, to defend the vulnerable, to expose spivs and speculators and tax avoiders.

From the Observer’s Katie Forster:

Supporters of Spanish anti-austerity party Podemos have attended the march in solidarity, joining a handful of people showing their support for similar movements in Greece. Andrea, a 34-year-old Spanish protestor living in London, is part of the Podemos group. “What is happening here now happened four years ago in Spain,” she said. “In 2011, protestors from the ‘indignados’ movement stayed for days in public squares like this. It showed the need for change in Spain. You should do the same!’

The London ‘circle’ of Podemos meet twice a month. Around 10-15 members were marching together, most of then from Spain, with some British and Italian members too.

“I made this after listening to the news,” said the protestor with the ‘solidarity with Greece’ banner, who preferred not to be named. “I’m so angry, there are so many excuses being made.”

Updated

Protesters are gathered in Parliament Square. A view from the stage gives an insight into the numbers of people present.

Meanwhile...

A police unit is apparently now manning the most hardcore protesters.

If you’re trying to cross central London, some handy advice from the Met:

Updated

A video has appeared on Youtube of Guardian columnist Owen Jones speaking at the rally.

Owen Winter
Owen Winter th Photograph: The Guardian

Owen Winter was taking a break from marching at Ludgate Circus. He
said: “I’m demonstrating because I feel that the cuts are particularly
harsh for young people and affect them quite negatively and I think
that I’m going to grow up dealing with the repercussions. Generally I think young people get a raw deal out of politics.” Owen finished his last GCSE exam yesterday. He got up at 5.30 to get to London.

Morgan Centini
Morgan Centini th Photograph: The Guardian

Morgan Centini, 16, from Cornwall, said: “I’m out protesting today because I’ve grown up in an environment where I’ve watched the public sector in my home town destroyed. Watching the cuts rip apart a community, I can’t put it into words really. It’s disgusting.”

The Observer’s Katie Forster is also at the demo. She’s spoken to some more people about why they’re there.

Verity (left) and Lucy (right)
Verity (left) and Lucy (right) The Guardian Photograph: The Guardian

Verity Brown, 19, student and Lucy, 20, say they are particularly concerned about the effect of the cuts for women. “They affect childcare, work, housing,” said Lucy. “I’m scared that people don’t realise the impact that the election result is going to have.”

Verity added: “David Cameron, we know who you are and what you’re going to do. We’re not happy - sort it out.”

Annette (left) and Mandy (right)
Annette (left) and Mandy (right) th Photograph: The Guardian

Annette and Mandy have made their own protest dresses. “There are too many things I’m angry about to put on one banner so I made this dress,” said Mandy. “We don’t need austerity - there’s enough money.”

“I work as a manager and I still can’t afford to rent in London, so I’m a property guardian,” said Annette. “My sister is also disabled - we need money for welfare, not warfare”

Group of marchers in masks split from main rally

Some of the marchers have split off and headed over the Thames towards the South Bank, according to the BBC’s Tom Symonds.

Updated

Here’s more from Damien Gayle:

It’s clear now that this march is pretty big. Many tens of thousands of people from all walks of life are here, many have brought their children.

The banners are uncompromising. “Get the Tories out” they proclaim. “Austerity kills.” “Defy Tory rule.” But the mood is bright, despite grey skies and a mist of drizzle.

We are now approaching the Strand, but the march stretches out a long way ahead and behind. Protesters are chanting, blowing whistles.

“One solution: Revolution,” they’re singing. The police are standing by, but I don’t think the revolution will be today.

Updated

Entrance to Savoy Hotel is closed off

The Guardian’s Damien Gayle is reporting that the entrance to the Savoy hotel, on the Strand, has been closed off.

The protestors were marching past the luxury hotel a few minutes ago.

Updated

Charlotte Church and Russell Brand aren’t the only famous faces spotted at today’s protest. Comedian Josie Long is also taking part, to defend spending on the arts.

Guardian Witness contributions

Your Guardian Witness contributions have been coming in thick and fast. See a collection below.

Intelligent sign writing

Marching for housing rights and cuts to the vulnerable

View from the ground

Updated

There’s much singing going on at the demo right now. Here’s a video of a choir singing a special rendition of the Top Cat theme song.

Numbers seem to be rising in central London:

The BBC’s Dominic Hurst is also there:

Smoke bombs are also being let off.

Not much conversation about the demos taking place amongst the Twitter commentariat. Here are a small selection of tweets from the Right and Left.

It’s being reported that red flares were let off shortly after the march began, filling the street with thick, red smoke.

Tobi Serik
Tobi Serik Photograph: The Guardian

Tobi Seriki, 28, from Deptford, is at the protest. She spoke to the Guardian about her reasons for demonstrating:

I believe in the social movement of people and I agree with Paul krugman, the economist, rather than George Osborne. Austerity isn’t working at all and we need to change tack.

Arthur
Arthur Photograph: The Guardian

Meanwhile, Arthur, from South London, was wearing a face mask handed out by the
network for police monitoring (Netpol). Asked why he covered his face he said:

CCTV in the city and around London. It’s an oppressive absolutist state where you don’t have to do anything wrong, just have your picture taken and the facial recognition system will get you on the database and class you as a terrorist, even if you are just attending a protest. The real terrorists are financial.

Updated

All the regulars are out.

Speeches will take place in Parliament Square between 2.40-5.30pm. Here is a full list of speakers:

  • Steve Turner - Unite & People’s Assembly
  • Romayne Phoenix - People’s Assembly
  • Owen Jones
  • Christine Blower - NUT
  • Len McCluskey - Unite
  • Mark Serwotka - PCS
  • Charlotte Church
  • Julie Hesmondhalagh - Actress
  • Marina Prentulis - Greece Solidarity
  • Caroline Lucas MP
  • Jeremy Corbyn MP
  • Martin McGuinness - Sinn Fein
  • Liz Carr
  • Sam Fairbairn - People’s Assembly
  • Shappi Khorsandi - Comedian
  • John Rees -People’s Assembly
  • Francesca Martinez - Comedian
  • Russell Brand - Comedian

Updated

Singer Charlotte Church is at the march brandishing an End Austerity Now placard. She said:

I’m here today in a show of solidarity with everyone here - it is a massive turnout - everybody who thinks that austerity isn’t the only way and thinks it is essentially unethical, unfair and unnecessary.

Asked if she was inspired by the surge of the Scottish National Party she said “absolutely. But I think that the Scottish have been able to galvanise themselves against the Westminster elite. We are in one of the richest nations in the world and social inequality is unacceptable. I’m immensely proud to be here. I think this is a brilliant movement and it is for the common good. We are here to make a stand.”

Updated

Diane Abbott
Diane Abbott.jpg t Photograph: The Guardian

Hackney Labour MP Dianne Abbott has just addressed the crowd. She said:

I’m here to show solidarity with this march and demonstration today. Let’s remember what austerity is really about. Is it necessary? No. Austerity is about making the rest of us pay for the bankers, austerity is about making us even more unequal, and austerity is about dismantling our public services.

After she spoke on stage, Abbott told the Guardian:

I think it’s sad that there are not more labour MPs here. Tory austerity is not necessary and the Labour Party should be making the case for an alternative. There’s huge popular support for fighting austerity particularly among labour supporters and I think it’s remarkable that I will be the only mayoral candidate that’s actually against austerity when I think the majority of labour supporters inlondon are against austerity.

Updated

Jeremy Corbyn was on the Radio 4 Today Programme to discuss austerity, which he said was a “cover” for deepening inequality. Listen to the Labour MP’s interview below.

Natalie Bennett addresses crowds

Natalie Bennett on June 13, 2015 in Swansea, Wales.
Natalie Bennett on June 13, 2015 in Swansea, Wales. Photograph: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Green party leader Natalie Bennett has been addressing the crowds from the stage on Sise Lane. She said:

I do wonder is there anyone here from the IMF? I thought not, but the IMF said George Osborne’s austerity is a bad policy. This is utterly the wrong direction for Britain.

Austerity is making the poor pay for the greed and the fraud of the bankers and we are not going to take it anymore.

Updated

What’s the most imaginative placard you’ve seen? I quite like these ones:

Here is some early footage from the march, which has just started moving.

Anti-nuclear activists are among those taking part today. Kate Hudson, general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said mass mobilisation was key to persuading the new Government not to renew the Trident nuclear weapons.

And Lindsey German, convenor of the Stop The War Coalition, said: “I will be marching because I am fed up with all the main parties saying they are going to promote austerity. They have made the rich richer and the poor poorer and they’re going to continue.”

Russell Brand arrives at demo

Russell Brand is at the demo talking to fellow protestors and filming segments on his mobile phone. He was asked to comment for the Guardian but said; “I’m not working really”.

Russell Brand
Russell Brand Photograph: The Guardian

Updated

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has tweeted about attending the demonstration.

More from Guardian journalist Damien Gayle who’s at the protest (I’ll be including lines from Damien when and where I get them):

Early arrivals are already gathering outside the Bank of England for the People’s Assembly End Austerity Now march.

There are several hundred here, carrying placards proclaiming “Get the Tories out” and “End austerity now”.

Police of various units are also milling around, dressed variously in bright yellow hi-viz vests, blue liaison officer tabards and the grim black overalls of the riot squad.

Pascale Mitchell
Pascale Mitchell The Guardian Photograph: The Guardian

But as yet the mood is good natured. Pascale Mitchell, a school librarian and carer from Bermondsey, south London, was outside the bank with her 15-year-old daughter.

She said: “Today I’m joining this hostoric march because I believe in doing the right thing. I support compassion, dignity, kindness, no despair, fair distribution of resources, no sanctions and equality for all mankind.”

She added: “People are already losing their lives, committing suicide, not being able to eat. I had had to donate to a friend because he got her her benefits sanctioned and she had to go to a food bank. I’m physically seeing the impact around me and it’s only going to get worse.”

Updated

The first pictures are coming in from the demo.

Fairbairn also indicated he was backing Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership bid. Corbyn is the only Labour leadership hopeful who will be speaking at the demo. “We would like the whole Labour party to be there obviously. But Jeremy is the only candidate who takes a principled anti-austerity, anti-war stance consistently,” he said.

The Guardian’s Seumas Milne has previously written about why Corbyn’s leadership ballot must be welcome. “By providing a rallying point for those who want opposition to austerity and endless war, his candidacy should at least halt the mainstream candidates’ stampede to the right – which is taking them further away from the voters they need to win back,” he wrote.

Last week, the People’s Assembly (the umbrella group of activists behind the march) criticised Labour leadership hopefuls Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall for their no show at the rally. Sam Fairbairn, the group’s national secretary, said the politicians had failed to grasp the level of public anger at budget cuts. He said:

We don’t want to get involved in internal Labour debates, but its definitely timid of them not to show up. This is why Labour lost the election, because they didn’t take a hard enough line against austerity. Contrary to what the Blairites are saying about [former Labour leader Ed] Miliband being too leftwing, I think the opposite really.

Fairbairn also speculated that Burnham, Cooper and Kendall did not want to be accused of double standards, having signed up to Labour’s pre-election budget responsibility lock to eliminate the budget deficit.

From their own point of view it might sound very hypocritical to attend a rally calling for no cuts when they have signed up to austerity. And even if they wanted to they would be nervous about how they would be received on the demonstration.

For a long time the Labour party has taken a bad line on austerity. But we work with lots of Labour party members across the country who still hold to those founding principles of the Labour party.

A spokesman for Andy Burham’s team suggested all the candidates would be tied up at a leadership hustings debate in Stevenage, which started at 11.30 this morning. Though this would give the candidates time to make the roughly 45-minute journey to Parliament Square in time for the planned afternoon speeches at the end of the march.

Police crack down on activists ahead of protest

There were reports last night that police have cracked down on activists previously linked to direct action protests in lieu of this afternoon’s demonstration. Sources told the Guardian that at least three activists arrested on suspicion of offences at earlier demonstrations have been handed fresh bail conditions forbidding them from attending the march. A fourth activist was arrested on suspicion of offences at an anti-gentrification protest in Brixton in April and released on bail under similar conditions. A fifth attended a police station voluntarily and was not arrested.

Critics have accused the police of staging a politically motivated crackdown. Lisa McKenzie, an activist with Class War, an anarchist group, said:

There seems to be a massive crackdown. There is some sort of political motivation behind all of this. This is not the Met police; they haven’t got the brains. I think there’s a political motivation to stop this wave of direct action going on all across the city.

And a spokesman for Liberty, the human rights group, added:

We have seen bail conditions abused by the police in the past to impede the right to protest of people neither charged nor convicted of a related criminal offence. The whole question of lengthy police bail when used as a restriction on protest and even on journalism needs urgent parliamentary attention.

Updated

Met Police's map of road closures

The Met Police have issued a map of this afternoon’s road closures, which you can see below.

A google map of the protest route is also available here.

Updated

The Guardian’s own Damien Gayle will be on the frontline of the protest today. Here are some words from him about what we can expect.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather in central London today for the biggest anti-austerity march yet this year.

The protest, called by the People’s Assembly Against Austerity, will gather outside the Bank of England at midday before marching through central London to a rally in Parliament Square.

Police have closed roads and are expecting “substantial numbers of people” along the route, which runs from Queen Victoria Street and along New Bridge Street, Fleet Street, The Strand and Whitehall.

Protesters will be venting their anger at big spending cuts and privatisations planned by the Conservative government. They fear a plan to bring the national budget into surplus will have devastating effects on public services.

The government’s proposed measures are expected to include £12bn in cuts to welfare, a dismantling of human rights laws, limits on strike action and pro-business reform of public services including schools and healthcare.

The leftwinger and Labour leadership hopeful Jeremy Corbyn is to make a keynote address, but the party’s other contenders – Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall – have indicated they do not plan to attend.

MP Jeremy Corbyn, Monday June 15, 2015.
MP Jeremy Corbyn, Monday June 15, 2015. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA

Union leaders, including Len McClusky from the Unite union, the Labour party’s biggest financial backers, will also be among the speakers, as will Russell Brand, Charlotte Church, and comedian Shappi Khorsandi.

The protest is bringing together a range of causes which have self-organised into 40 blocs, ranging from cannabis campaigners to teachers to squatters. Some are travelling from as far away as Yorkshire and Teesside for the demonstration.

Organisers are expecting at least 100,000 and say numbers could reach as many as 250,000. The Facebook event page for the protest has around 66,000 people indicating they will attend.

The protest is the latest in a wave of demonstrations following the surprise Conservative majority following the May general election. The first, a day after the results came in, descended into violence outside Downing Street that resulted in 15 arrest. A second, weeks later, saw a UKIP MP, Douglas Carswell, surrounded by demonstrators chanting “fascist scum”.

Today’s protest is expected to be peaceful, despite stories in the last edition of the Mail on Sunday accusing activists of a “riot plot” to turn the demonstration into “a rampage”.

The Metropolitan police said it has been organising with People’s Assembly and will deploy liaison teams throughout the day. “We will be facilitating peaceful protest and are working with the organisers to ensure this happens,” the force said.

However, if recent demonstrations are anything to go by, it is likely that large numbers of riot police will be on standby.

Good morning, and welcome to the Guardian’s anti-austerity demo live blog. Whether you’re snuggling on the sofa in your PJs or out on the streets of Westminster exercising your right to protest, stay with us as we attempt to keep you up to date with all the news from what is expected to be the biggest march of its kind in four years.

The End Austerity Now rally has been organised by The People’s Assembly and is supported by various unions and campaign groups. It aims to highlight the damage caused by government cuts and privatisation across the country, while also sparking a debate about how to protect the welfare state and develop an alternative to the current political and economic status quo.

Tens of thousands are down to attend the march. A similar one is taking place in Glasgow. If you’re one of the demonstrators and think there’s something we should covering, or if you’re a bystander who sees something noteworthy, don’t feel shy to email me on nadia.khomami@theguardian.com or tweet me @nadiakhomami. You can also contribute your stories to Guardian Witness.

The hashtags being used for the event are #EndAusterityNow and #JuneDemo.

Updated

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