New wave of protests against Starmer government policies

The protesters, gathered at the invitation of the "People’s Assembly Against Austerity," first assembled in front of the BBC building in central London and then marched toward the Prime Minister’s office on Downing Street.

Demonstrators carried placards reading "Welfare Not Warfare," "Tax the Rich," and "Fund Public Services, Not Nuclear Weapons," condemning the economic policies of Keir Starmer’s government.

Today’s protest saw a vibrant presence of various social groups, from trade unions and healthcare workers to human rights activists and opponents of inequality. Among the crowd, large banners from the "Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament" and the "Stop the War Coalition" were visible alongside Palestinian flags.

John Rees, a prominent anti-war and social justice activist, sharply criticized the Starmer government’s economic and military policies during a speech at the protest, stating: "We want welfare, not war. When the government plans to spend billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on building nuclear submarines and serving the interests of arms companies, while that same amount could cover the annual salaries of 40,000 nurses, we say this government does not represent the working class."

Rees warned: "We are in the streets today, and we will come back again until these policies are stopped or this government is removed."