Lucy Nichols reports on the joint Disabled People Against Cuts and Stop the War Budget Day rally

A lively demonstration outside Downing Street on Wednesday protested the government’s disability cuts and the increase in military spending.

Disabled People Against Cuts, Stop the War and Homes For All jointly organised the rally and march to Parliament, which coincided with the chancellor’s Spring Budget. The demonstration was over a thousand strong and spread across both sides of Whitehall.

Speakers included John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn, representatives from PCS, BFAWU, and the TUC. Other unions were also represented with banners and flags, including Equity, Unison and Unite Community. Health campaigns Keep Our NHS Public and End Social Care Disgrace were also joined by pensioners groups and young people as well as housing groups from different London boroughs.

Lindsey German, the convenor of Stop the War, spoke against the government’s ‘unlimited money for weapons and war, which supports the genocide going on in Palestine… but nothing for the people who need it’.

Tony O’Sullivan, co-chair of Keep Our NHS Public, spoke of the need of investment in public services, and against the Labour’s choice ‘to rebuild our armed services but not our public services.’

Demonstrators rallied outside Downing Street before a spontaneous march to Parliament, where more speeches were heard.

The overall mood was of incredible anger that a Labour government could abandon working class people so dramatically. There is no doubt that the cuts to the disability benefits will kill people at home, while the increase to defence spending will lead to deaths abroad.

This is why the need for a renewed anti-austerity movement is clear, and why we must continue to build for the People’s Assembly demonstration on June 7, and encourage trade union and community support.