News / Politics

'Anti-austerity protests tip of iceberg'

Sunday, 10 May 2015 5:44 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 11 May 2015 10:54 AM ]

Anti-Tories protest in London on May 9, 2015

Reports coming out of the UK suggest that more anti-austerity protests are expected to be held in the country following the surprise victory of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg, I think yesterday’s demonstration is the first but it won’t be the last and it won’t be the biggest demonstration against the Tories," John Rees, the Spokesperson for The People’s Assembly Against Austerity told Press TV on Sunday.

He said thousands of people have already announced that they would take part in the rallies scheduled to be held next month.

“The People’s Assembly is planning on 20th of June a demonstration which has over 30,000 people saying they are coming to it on Facebook and that’s a month before it takes place,” John Rees added.

On Saturday, British police clash with anti-austerity protesters in central London as thousands turn out to express anger at Tories rise to majority rule with only 37 percent of the vote.

Meanwhile, media published on social networks indicated a heavy-handed response to the rally.

Many protesters called for proportional representation, insisting that their voices are not being attended to under the current voting arrangement.

London-based political commentator Rodney Shakespeare described the protest rally as a sign of public anger about British government’s policies as well as the result of the recent parliamentary elections.

“Out on the streets you have got anger about the British foreign policy not being discussed, you have got anger about poverty and the cuts which are coming and that wasn’t really being discussed... you have got anger about the no recognition of the overall economic system, you have got particular anger over the results of the election which meant that all the small parties… except the SNP… were not having a fair deal,” Professor Shakespeare told Press TV.

Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative party won an overall majority required to form a new government.

The Tories grabbed 331 seats in the House of Commons, 24 more than in 2010. Labour won 232, the Lib Dems 8, the SNP 56, UKIP 1, and other parties secured 22 seats.

MTM/SP/HA

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