Masses thronged the streets of Edinburgh in a protest against cuts. Called by the STUC, 20000 demonstrators turned up. They marched from East Market St to the Mound to Princes St to Princes Gardens and ended up in the Ross Bandstand for a rally. This video, part 1/3, is of the protestors assembling in East Market Street and finally moving off along the street with the sight of Calton Hill Royal Observatory building in the background.
The Tory/LibDem government finalised their plans for brutal cuts at their spending review three days earlier. Huge numbers stand to lose their jobs in the public sector and services will be slashed unless the country gets together and forces the government to change its mind. A financial recession has been caused by bankers. Instead of bailing out bankers as the New Labour government did under Brown and instead of slashing services and jobs which Labour started and the twin-Tories are planning to take even further, there is a better way of bringing in money - imposing higher taxes on billionaires, closing tax loopholes, pursuing the billionaire tax cheats, doing away with tax exile status and insisting on proper tax being paid in the country where the profit is being made. "There is a better way" was the STUC slogan for this anti-cuts demonstration. It is an ongoing campaign and a lot more action is planned by them and individual trade unions until the government changes its policy or the Tory/Lib-Dem government could find itself out of a job! The LibDem politicians have proved themselves totally spineless by reneging on their election promises and just going along with what the Tories want as they know that if there is sufficient disagreement in the coalition government a general election will be required and if another party wins outright or narrowly wins but doesn't want to form a coalition the LibDems could lose next time round, so this proves they are putting their own well paid government jobs before the good of the people whom they are supposed to serve. If they rebel against their Tory partners and call a general election they might regain some respect from those who put their faith in them at the last general election. A lobby of the Scottish SNP government is also planned for November 17th to make sure that the Westminster government's plans for cuts don't influence them into doing the same. Even if the Westminster government reduces funding to Scotland, Scotland still has tax-raising powers. There is no need to either slash jobs or hike up the council tax to a level ill-afforded by low-paid workers; more revenue can be obtained by replacing the council tax with an income based tax, where low-paid workers would pay much less or nil, very high-incomed people would pay a lot more and middle-incomed people would pay much the same as before. There is a vast number of workers in the public sector, on a variety of wage levels. Some of the better paid public sector workers say they would be happy to pay slightly more income tax in place of council tax to save services and jobs (including their own.) That way, people would contribute according to their income and ability to pay rather than have to pay the virtually flat rates that both high, middle and low-waged workers currently have to pay with the council tax. Let the Scottish government heed those workers and take a different approach from the ruthless Conservative-led coalition government in Westminster.
Protestaktion der Gewerkschaften gegen Haushaltskürzungen.
Manifestation à Edimbourg organisé par les syndicats contre les coupes budgétaires. Vingt mille manifestants.
Manifestación contra los recortes presupuestarios.
Διαμαρτυρία ενάντια στις περικοπές του προϋπολογισμού.
в Эдинбурге состоялась акция протеста против бюджетной реформы и сокращения государственных расходов на услуг.
Another mass march will take place on 2011-10-01 this time in Glasgow. Organised by the STUC in conjunction with anti-poverty groups, faith groups, equality groups and other campaigners this is expected to be another massive demo. The march will end with a rally in Kelvingrove Park after which there will be fringe meetings at various locations in the area such as student unions, public buildings, hotels and places of worship. The events will include a fundraising initiative to help those hit by famine disaster in Africa. The October protest aims to challenge poverty and campaign for a redistribution of wealth in Scotland and the UK and to protect those hit the hardest by the cuts in benefits and services and to help to rebuild and reconnect the country's communities. The demo's slogan is People First: There is a Better Way.
N30 - on 30/11/11 there will be mass strikes and demos throughout the country
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Edinburgh March For Gaza part 1by TrishMaryHill393 views
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