The People’s Assembly (PA), an anti-cuts group, has called a demonstration in London for 26 June, noon from Portland Place. The PA was formed in 2013, is financed by trade unions including Unite, and now has “Corbynite” former Labour shadow minister Laura Pidcock as its secretary. The small socialist group Counterfire is important in its backroom workings.
The protest is supported by several unions besides Unite (NEU, PCS, RMT, FBU...), and by Extinction Rebellion, which plans additional protests of its own on the weekend 26-27 June.
Awkwardly, the protest, planned months ago, has accumulated ten distinct demands, from ending fire-and-rehire to stopping the Police Bill.
Its initial pitch was “demand a new normal”, on the assumption that by 26 June the contest would be over rival forms of post-Covid “normal”, but, by no fault of the protest planners, 26 June will be far from post-Covid.
Barring a sudden rise in hospitalisations, though, 26 June will be one of the biggest street presence by the left in Britain in a while. The PA is organising coaches from across the country, while the next big protest day after 26 June, for the NHS on 3 July, is designed as a miscellany of local events, with several in London.
Whatever the detail of official demands, people will use the protest to raise voices for social provision, equality, and democratic rights. Help Solidarity make our class-struggle socialist ideas visible on the day! Check out our calendar closer to 26 June for our assembly points and stalls.
