2000 march through Norwich against cuts

4 Dec 2010: Police estimate that there were 2000 on the Norfolk Coalition Against the Cuts march in Norwich today. Trades union branches mobilised some of their members. Many workers are getting involved in activity for the first time. There were a lot of students and school students, angry about education cuts, university fees, loss of EMA and withdrawal of transport subsidies for college students.

We walked through the town centre where vast numbers were shopping. The weather was kind to us by the standards of the last few days: no snow or rain fell, although you could not say it was warm.

Speakers included a student from the occupation at Cambridge University who gave a good report on the value of direct action.

Felicity Dowling (an NUT activist from Merseyside) spoke of the need to rebuild the movement so that the working class has its own organisation in every neighbourhood where politics is discussed and activity organised. This was the base from which it was possible for Liverpool councillors in the 1980s to defy Thatcher's cuts and build good quality council houses and a splendid park.

There are lessons to be learned for next time. Perhaps we missed an opportunity to take some direct action, occupy Top Shop or something similar. Given the cold weather, there were too many speakers on the platform.