Britain’s largest anti-austerity demonstration in four years has passed off with only five arrests made.
Between 70,000 and 150,000 people marched through central London on Saturday to protest against government plans for deep budget cuts before a rally in Parliament Square.
The Metropolitan police worked with organisers to run a low-key policing operation, with few officers visible along the route. “There were five arrests throughout the operation – none of them for anything major,” a Met spokesman said. Those arrested were taken in on suspicion of criminal damage, possession of articles to commit criminal damage, assault on police, theft and recall to prison, the spokesman added.
At one point, a group of demonstrators dressed in black with their faces covered split off from the main march and crossed Waterloo bridge to the South Bank but they were quickly surrounded by police. Another protest group, Sisters Uncut, for a while blocked Westminster bridge, which was not among the roads closed for the demonstration, but police took no action.
An outbreak of heavy rain dispersed most protesters from Parliament Square at around 6pm on Saturday. Nearby pubs were full, although many protesters from further afield were ferried back to their home towns in coaches.
Some media reports had stoked fears that a hard core of protesters would try to hijack the event. The Mail on Sunday accused activists of a “riot plot” to turn the demonstration into a “rampage”, claims those named in the story have denied.
In the week leading up to the demonstration, a police crackdown led to the arrest of activists previously linked to direct actions in London. Several were given police bail conditions forbidding them from attending the protest.
There were no arrests at at a smaller anti-austerity demonstration in Glasgow, Police Scotland said. Demonstrations also took place in Bristol and Liverpool. No one at Avon and Somerset police or Merseyside police was available for comment.
