Tens of thousands of anti-austerity protesters descended on central Lomdon on Saturday, to demonstrate against government cuts to health, social housing, jobs and education

Last week, the organisers – People’s Assembly Against Austerity – modified the event to also call for the resignation of prime minister David Cameron over links to his father’s offshore company.

“The Tories are facing their biggest crisis yet. David Cameron’s stake in his father’s off shore tax haven, prove that this is a government for the privileged few, not for the majority. This shows beyond all doubt that Cameron is divorced from the life of any working person,” the organisers wrote on their Facebook page.

Cameron has destroyed everything that has been achieved over the decades in just six years Cath

We spoke to protesters about why they’re taking part and why some of them want David Cameron to resign. Here’s what they said.

‘Cameron has no sense of how people are suffering’ – Cath, Nuneaton

I am marching because I am against austerity. I’m marching for the homeless, people having to use foodbanks, doctors working such long hours, all schools being made academies, bedroom tax, and the way people with illnesses and disabilities are treated by the DWP and their assessors, sanctions making people more vulnerable. There isn’t anything l can think of not to protest against.

Austerity cuts have made it that l still have to work at 65 years old, even though l have poor health. I am also sick to death of the media, newspapers, television news, distorting the news particularly where Jeremy Corbyn and Labour are concerned. I want to make a difference.

I want David Cameron to resign because he has enabled austerity, he has no sense of how people are suffering and if he does that makes it even worse because he condoned it. He has destroyed everything that has been achieved over the decades in just six years.

What message do you want to send to the government?

Do the honourable thing and resign now. We will continue to protest to this end. Enough is enough.

‘The vilification of the disabled and the cuts in benefit’ – Liz, London

I’m marching to show my anger at the unfairness of the austerity cuts. To support all who have been unfairly affected by the inhumane actions of an uncaring and arrogant government who have lied their way into power using nothing but vile tactics to tighten their grip on our lives to squeeze every last penny out of us while lining the pockets of those who already have enough.

After years of working in manual labour intensive jobs my parents are now classed as disabled because of the strains put on their bodies. The vilification of the disabled and the cuts in benefits to the services they use have made my parents a shadow of their former selves. They feel like second class citizens in a country they worked hard in and paid into. Seeing them slowly fade away is terrifying.

Your policies to date have not reduced the deficit - you have failed. It’s time for a change ! Dee

I find David Cameron incredibly hard to stomach but would Boris or George be any better? I doubt it. It would also be interesting to see if Cameron is directly benefiting from the tax laws he has been advocating. I would like a general election!

What message do you want to send to the government?

You should be advocating for the people not dictating.

‘The austerity agenda is a sham, it’s a way to dismantle the welfare state’ – Linda, London

David Cameron is a liar and has no regard for ordinary people. His promise that the NHS would be safe in his hands is one example of his dishonesty, the four different answers to a question about his own profit from tax havens is another. The fact that he has supported cuts in benefits to the low paid and people with disabilities while at the same time lowering tax to the super rich is shameful. I think the whole government should stand down. They’re all as bad as each other.

My course is being cut next year because universities are under such pressure now and appoint managers whose first priority is income generation and the student experience is paid lip service to. I’m one of the lucky ones, I have a pension I can live on, but I feel sorry for the younger generation.

I believe in fairness and equity and I’m angry with this government. I never thought I’d see the day when doctors would come out on strike and that people with disabilities would be treated in such a shameful way.

What message do you want to send to the government?

Resign!

‘The domestic violence sector has suffered huge cuts’ – Dee, Bewdley

I want David Cameron to resign because he is a hypocrite and a liar. However, I don’t have any faith in either Boris Johnson or George Osborne. These are men who are only interested in pursuing their own self interest and that of their cronies.

I dislike their policies which seem to support the privileged few at the expense of the rest of us. Dee

I’m angry about public sector cuts and the long term effect that this will have for ordinary people. I am protesting about a government who are intent on dismantling the critical infrastructure of this country through a regime of privatisation. This is happening across the board- health, education, local authorities, housing. They appear ruthless and have no conscience about how their actions will affect ordinary people. I dislike their policies which seem to support the privileged few at the expense of the rest of us. I want a government who focus on greater equality and who invest in jobs related to health, housing and education- and one which values people.

I was made redundant as soon as this government came into power! I was in a strategic role within a local council as a domestic violence coordinator. Since then I have watched the dismantling of the public sector where colleagues who have remained in jobs are run-ragged with fewer resources, doing the work of two or three people. The domestic violence sector has suffered huge cuts at a time when the numbers of reported cases of DVA is higher than ever.

What message do you want to send to the government?

Austerity isn’t working. It’s having a detrimental effect on millions of people on this country. Your policies to date have not reduced the deficit - you have failed. It’s time for a change !

‘We cannot afford to waste any opportunity to challenge the appalling policies of this government’ – Kevin, Plymouth

I work in local government with homeless people. I’ve seen services I’m involved with cut and staff leave. I’ve watched thresholds rise to the point that vulnerable adults and vulnerable young people no longer get help when they need it, stoking up the fires of failure. In the longer term mainstream society will pay dearly for austerity whilst those with money hidden offshore will ride roughshod over all of us.

Mainstream society will pay dearly for austerity Kevin

We cannot afford to waste any opportunity to challenge and expose the appalling policies and record of failure of this government. They control most of the media and have the control of so much wealth they are able to buy their way into people’s consciousness. We can only expose and challenge this by showing that we have different ideas, better ideas and that we are many whilst they are few.

I don’t want Cameron to resign just yet, only because we can’t let them airbrush their failed policies away by bringing in a replacement. We also need time to allow Labour to select many more left candidates for the next election.

What message do you want to send to the government?

You’re not credible, not wanted, not going to get away with deceiving people any longer, not going to win the next general election.

‘Injustice enrages me: I feel I must stand up against it’ – Chris, London

I’m a teacher and my school is in a state of near permanent financial crisis, and suffers deep cuts: all of which is entirely avoidable, and which affects less well off students. Teachers are leaving in droves.

David Cameron should go, but the real enemy is his government and party: he’s just the public relations man at the front of this miserable crew of privatising vampires.

Austerity is a political choice, not an economic necessity. We need to mobilise people against neoliberalism, which is the ideology driving this government.



Everything I like about this country is under threat: the NHS, state schooling, a decent provision for the weakest and most vulnerable, and much more. Injustice enrages me: I feel I must stand up against it.

What message do you want to send to the government?

We are going to fight you until we win: we are the real Britain, not you and your 1% tax dodging kleptocracy.



