UNION leaders yesterday vowed to continue campaigning against the Government’s spending cuts amid mounting anger at the trouble makers who clashed with police and damaged stores and other buildings during a huge TUC demonstration.
A leading Labour politician described those involved in clashes in the West End as a “tiny minority of violent, parasitic unrepresentative hooligans”, while London’s Deputy Mayor said they were “fascist agitators”.
Unofficial estimates put the numbers taking part in the protest at nearly half a million, with tens of thousands of people still joining a march through central London as a rally in Hyde Park was under way. A group of youths, wearing scarves to hide their faces, started attacking shops and banks well away from the march, causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage and clashing with some of the 4,500 police on duty.
The Metropolitan Police said 201 arrests were made.
Alec McFadden, secretary of Wirral TUC, estimated 7,000-10,000 people from the Merseyside region travelled to London to join the anti-cuts demonstration.
He said: "We had 15 buses and there were numerous trains packed with people, and a lot more people drove down.
"There were families who went down, and lots of teachers and nurses and people who work in the public sector. People who work on the frontline and know what the cuts will mean to services."
He said he was not aware of anyone from Merseyside being arrested, and insisted they had been involved in a peaceful march.
Police are now reviewing evidence collected from CCTV cameras and police officers.
Although much of the debris left by yesterday’s carnage had been removed by 9am, Trafalgar Square was still showing signs yesterday of what had gone on. The words “fightback” and “Tory scum” were scrawled on one of the four bronze lions, while red paint remained on part of the 2012 Olympics countdown clock. A placard demanding “hands off Libya” was placed high on the statue of King Charles I.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said the so-called March for the Alternative exceeded expectations in the biggest union-organised protest for a generation.”
Scotland Yard said two people were charged in connection with the disorder. The other 199 arrested remained in custody last night.
