Marchers to send message on cuts

Up to a quarter of a million people are expected to join the protest in London, the biggest union-organised event for more than 20 years and the largest in the country since the anti-war march in 2003.

Labour politicians including leader Ed Miliband will take part, as well as officials from scores of trade unions, community groups, student and pensioner organisations, and a number of activists planning to take direct action.

Banks and stores in Oxford Street will be targeted by anti-cuts group UK Uncut, as well as a “secret” location which will be hit by a mass occupation.

So-called dissident feeder marches will take place, with plans ranging from threats to occupy Oxford Street and stopping traffic with “flashmobs” to meandering along the route of the main march pushing buggies.

The TUC, which has been organising the March for The Alternative for months, said it expected a huge turnout of people from communities across the country wanting to show their anger at the Government’s “deep, rapid and unfair” spending cuts.

General secretary Brendan Barber said he hoped the Government would take notice of the protest and change its “damaging” policies, which have already led to the threat of more than 170,000 job losses in local government, another 50,000 across other areas of the public sector, and cuts and closures of services ranging from libraries to youth clubs.

He said: “The thousands of trade union members coming on Saturday from across the country, along with representatives of service users and countless other voluntary and community groups who oppose the cuts, know that the objective of this demonstration is to send a strong message to the Government through our unity and a huge turnout. I want nothing to distract from that.

“I’m confident that our planning and well-trained steward team means this is exactly what will happen.”

Around 4,500 police officers will be on duty, with the man in charge of the operation, Commander Bob Broadhurst, hopeful that the day will pass without major incident.

The controversial tactic of “kettling” protesters into a confined area will be kept to a minimum, he said, adding: “The issues will be with the fracture groups who might want to spoil the party.

“Groups lodge themselves with someone else’s march and use the oxygen of publicity to make their point. Some of them are saying they will make occupations.

“If people come with disorder in mind, then it’s our job to try to prevent it, then stop it happening. We might end up in some form of containment. We would hope we can keep that for as few people as possible and for as little time as possible.”

Liberty will have 100 legal observers monitoring the policing of the protest and there will be representatives from other human rights groups on hand to offer advice to demonstrators.

More than 600 coaches and dozens of trains have been hired to bring people to London, with many unable to get to the capital because of the massive demand for transport.

Len McCluskey, leader of Unite, said those taking part in the march were the “tip of the iceberg” of millions opposed to the Government’s cuts in public spending.

“There is growing anger, which will build and build as the impact of the cuts take effect,” said Mr McCluskey, who warned of more demonstrations and possible strikes in the coming months.