Lucy Nichols reports on the relaunch of the anti-austerity movement as thousands marched through London to oppose Starmer’s austerity and militarism

Activists from all over the country joined the vibrant People’s Assembly national demonstration in Central London on Saturday. The ‘No to Austerity 2.0’ demonstration, which marched from BBC Portland Place to Whitehall, had three clear demands: welfare not warfare, stop the cuts, tax the rich.

These demands brought together 20,000 people from trade unions, health and community campaigns, the anti-war movement and more. Members of the NEU, PCS, and Unison had a significant presence on the march. Stop the War organised a sizeable anti-war bloc and Keep Our NHS Public brought 15 of their local branches on the march. Disabled activists from Disabled People Against Cuts led the march.

Chants on the march centred around cuts to public services, the NHS, and against increasing defence spending, as well as defending migrants and refugees.

The march brought Central London to a standstill and was met with lots of support from passersby, with many shouting ‘Free Palestine’ on seeing the Palestine flags that were scattered around. Workers in Soho told Counterfire they could hear the demonstration as it passed through Regent Street and towards Piccadilly.

Luckily, the rain held off for most of the march, with only a few light showers. The demonstration remained energetic as it rounded into Whitehall, greeted by live music. Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, Birmingham bin strikers, NHS workers Holly Turner and Dr Andrew Meyerson, John Rees from Stop the War, Leanne Mohamad, the British-Palestinian activist who almost unseated Wes Streeting, and more gave rousing speeches.

Many of the speakers made clear the links between Starmer’s cuts to welfare and public services to fund eye-watering increases in military spending and continued support for the Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people. The demonstration received wide coverage in the mainstream media, though the centrality of anti-war demands has been largely glossed over.

The People’s Assembly announced another national demonstration outside Labour conference in Liverpool in September. Saturday’s demonstration shows that the anti-austerity movement is back and will not let Starmer get away with his Tory cuts and drive to more militarism. We need to ensure this relaunch of the movement sparks a wave of campaigns against cuts to public services, wages, benefits and assaults on workers’ rights across the country and brings a monster show of opposition to Starmer’s doorstep at Labour conference.