Source:
The GuardianPolice estimate crowd numbers in London at 35,000, which would exceed organisers' hopesDemonstrators attend the Put People First march through central London,
beginning several days of protest surrounding the G20 summit.
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They hoped for ten thousand but in the end more than three times that number turned out on London's streets today for the biggest mass demonstration since the beginning of the economic crisis. The Put People First march was organised by a "rainbow alliance" of 150 trade unions, church groups and charities including ActionAid, Save the Children and Friends of the Earth. The theme was "jobs, justice and climate" and the message was aimed at the world leaders who will be gathering for the G20 summit here next week.
One of the organisers, the TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, claimed there had never before been such a wide coalition brought together with a direct message for world leaders. "The old ideas of unregulated free markets do not work, and have brought the world's economy to near-collapse, failed to fight poverty and have done far too little to move to a low-carbon economy," he said. "Of course, the G20 will not solve everything in a day's work, but leaders must sign up to boost the world economy and govern it better, and show us that they are trying to build a better world."
The marchers, estimated at 35,000 by police, accompanied by brass bands and drummers and a colourful assortment of banners and flags, walked the four miles from Embankment to Hyde Park, where speeches from comedian Mark Thomas and environment campaigner Tony Juniper and music from the Kooks marked a party-like atmosphere despite chilly temperatures.
People had come from all over the country to protest; organic farmer Jyoti Fernandes travelled from Somerset with her four children. "We are here to remind people that we have to look after our land and look after our food," she said.
Read more:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/28/g20-protest-police-rainbow-alliance