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Disabled people and allies just came out in communities nationwide to fight the DWP cuts

On Wednesday 26 March, there was a nationwide groundswell against the Labour Party government’s brutal cuts to benefits, as chronically ill and disabled people came out in force for #WelfareNotWarfare protests. The enormous turnout in London was only part of it – as people around the country took to the streets to fight the cruel Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plans. Together, across the UK, chronically ill and disabled people, and their allies made it clear that government won’t get away with it without a fierce collective resistance.

Welfare Not Warfare: disabled people mount nationwide protests

While the major protest centred round Downing Street and Parliament Square in London, plenty turned out elsewhere in the country against Labour’s disgraceful plans.

In Aberdeen, Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) activists gave speeches and hosted a die-in to represent the chronically ill and disabled people Labour’s vicious cuts will kill:

Activists from Stop the War Coalition turned out in solidarity in Glasgow:

Meanwhile, in Newcastle, protesters even caught the attention of Reach Plc’s faux local news site ChronicleLive, with the outlet reporting “dozens of protesters” gathering in the city centre:

DPAC and Crips Against Cuts member Hannah Frost spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. At the protest, Frost highlighted the impact the cuts could have her as a wheelchair-user living with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). As the news site reported:

Speaking at the city centre rally, Hannah said: “They are trying to frame this as getting people back into work. But cutting our benefits will not help that, it will make it harder for people to work.

“I pay for medicinal cannabis through my Pip and without that I am in so much pain that I can’t sleep. How would I be able to work if I don’t have that extra money to spend managing my life? It is expensive needing a wheelchair”.

Bringing out the best in communities everywhere

Darlington drew a significant crowd with DPAC banners and speeches against the cuts:

End Social Care Disgrace campaigners in Leeds brought attention to the connection between the cuts and systemic care failures in social care also impacting chronically ill and disabled people:

Over in Derry, DPAC Northern Ireland activists gathered together outside the Guildhall:

DPAC Norwich protesters took over the entrance to Norwich City Hall:

Labour’s proposals are leaving many chronically ill and disabled people fearful for themselves and their loved ones. As much as they were to resist the government’s callous cuts, the protests were also focal point for people to find solidarity and support. A poignant photo from Norwich of people sitting with a protester in distress showed how these demonstrations also brought out the best in our local communities:

Making sure Labour MPs got the message: Welfare Not Warfare

Some protests took the fight right up to the local Labour MPs’ offices to call on their representatives to oppose the cuts. In Chesterfield for instance, the protesters went to make some noise outside Labour MP Toby Perkins’ office:

Activists in Cardiff continued the nationwide protests into the evening outside Labour Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens’ office:

All told, hundreds of protesters outside London came out on the National Day of Action. This was on top of the thousands in the capital. Overall, the multiple demonstrations all across the country showed the depth of opposition to Labour’s plans. Of course, it’s only the start of the fight back – but the government can be damn sure communities everywhere aren’t going to stop until Labour ends it war on chronically ill and disabled people.

Featured image supplied

By Hannah Sharland

This post was originally published on Canary.