I did not go along to yesterday’s march, although I did attend a local demonstration linked with the UCU’s strike action on Thursday. Here I rolled my eyes at the inevitable parallels made between us and protestors in the ME, and fixed people selling the Socialist Worker with a Paddington-like stare. My demonstration style is more this than this.
Yet, although I agree with those who feel some people could do more to discourage and denounce such acts of violence, and although, as I voted Labour, I can’t simply condemn all cuts made by this government, I think it’s important to remember that the vast majority of demonstrators marched peacefully, and will now be frustrated by the way a small minority distracted attention from the issues at stake – cuts which will affect families, the poor, and the disabled.
