Britain: Anti-bank bailout protesters storm City

Several hundred students and other activists brought the City of London to a standstill in a flash protest on October 10, according to a report posted to Socialistworker.org.uk the followed day.

Chanting "No bail! send the bankers to jail", they stormed into the upmarket Royal Exchange Mall outside the Bank of England. The demonstrators attempted to force their way into the Bank of England building, followed by a sit-down protest encouraged by motorists who hooted in support.

The protest, organised by the Socialist Worker Student Society, was called in response to the multi-billion pound bailout of the crisis-wracked banking system.

Students from Oxford, Sussex, Essex and Sheffield joined London colleges — including Soas, Goldmiths, the LSE, Kings and UEL — in a good natured, but determined, show of force.

Martin Smith of the Socialist Workers Party told protesters, "This is the beginning of our fightback. Today thousands of bus drivers are on strike. We are here in support of them, and to protest against a capitalist system that just isn't working."

Holding up a copy of the Evening Standard newspaper with its headline "Blind Panic as shares crash", he declared: "They call this Black Friday. We say it's fightback Friday and from this day we are letting it be known that we will be calling more protests."

From GLW issue 771