One of many home-made anti-DUP placards

Housing and women’s protests join forces against May

Colin Wilson reports from a joint protest in central London which shows how many different groups of people are willing to come out to protest against the government.

The Homes for All march called in London this Saturday, 24 June, by Axe the Housing Act assembled at the same place as a second protest – a women’s march against the deal between the Tories and the DUP. The two groups joined together and over 1,000 people marched to Downing Street, with chants including “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, DUP fuck off with May!” as well as “Oh, Jeremy Corbyn!”

Groups bringing banners included Haringey Defend Council Housing, Barnet Unison, Hackney Axe the Housing Act, Feminist Fightback, Bromley and Croydon DPAC, London Teachers Housing Campaign and Unite Community Islington.

The fact that housing campaigners and feminists had no real difficulty merging their protests says something about the current generalised opposition to the Tories and austerity. It was noticeable however that groups from outside London weren’t represented, and that while the Grenfell fire has put council housing at the top of the news agenda, this didn’t lead to a bigger protest – in fact, the housing march was smaller than similar ones in the past.

Blocking Whitehall at Downing Street