May Day in London

By New Worker correspondent

Comrades and friends joined communists from Britain and overseas for London’s traditional May Day march from Clerkenwell Green to Trafalgar Square with a cavalcade of union banners as well as those from the Turkish, Kurdish and Iranian community groups.

The procession from Clerkenwell Green to Trafalgar Square was very well attended this year even though it fell mid-week.  As always the South East Region TUC (Sertuc) held the event on 1st May, international Workers’ Day, and the sun was streaming down, banishing at last all traces of that very long, very cold winter.

The march was led by a representative of Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC) in his wheelchair being pushed by a leading pensioner activist.

They were followed by the Sertuc banner and a jazz band.

Turkish and Kurdish comrades were there in strength as usual in their colourful clothes, banners, songs and dancing.

But anger at Con-Dem Coalition cuts and austerity brought out over two thousand trade union activists, students and other campaigners against austerity.

Police were also there is huge numbers, keeping close watch on the various anarchist groups but the mood of the marchers was relaxed and positive and there were no clashes of any kind.

Speakers in Trafalgar Square included union general secretaries Christine Blower (NUT) and Len McCluskey (Unite), Islington North Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn and veteran campaigner Tony Benn.