Notes from the Underclass....

Yesterday was a day I will never forget; a day that I will proudly tell my children and their children about.  Yesterday was the start.  The start of something big, of something that will change society for the better.

250k people, from all walks of life, able bodied and disabled, made their way, some setting off the day before, others as early as 1am to travel from all the corners of the UK to gather outside the Bank of England to start their march against the oppressive government seated in Westminster.  Young and old, liberal, socialist, democratic, student, worker, unemployed; mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, comrades and colleagues.  We were one.  One body, one voice: STOP THE CUTS.  We were loud and we were proud.

It was a colourful, vibrant and glorious display of unity and diversity.  Left Unity.  We are the 99%. Largely self identifying as the working class proletariat, we are considered by the government to be the Underclass.

Starting our march at 1pm in the muggy humid throng, proudly displaying our banners, many diverse causes from unions to not-for-profit organisations, the common people and the celebrities alike, even the odd MP, we blew our whistles, we booed at Downing Street, we chanted our protest, and we made ourselves heard.  The best response our leaders could come up with?

"leave running the country to the grownups"

As the hands on the face of St James' Tower ticked over to 4.30 the last of the marchers arrived in Parliament Square in time to hear Jeremy Corbyn.  15 years ago I heard Tony Benn address a group of eager young students at Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre just down the road.  That was the day that cemented me as a socialist.  Yesterday I became a prolitariate fighting back, proud to be lead by the Peoples Assembly and honoured to hear Jeremy Corbyn speak in person.

I have hope; hope that this is the tide turning, that he will become the Labour Party leader and that the small light at the end of our 5 year long darkened tunnel will grow to illuminate the way out for us all.

This is only the beginning.  We must all fight as one: unity and diversity.

We, the Underclass must rise up at every opportunity.  We take comfort in the fact that we are not alone. We must loosen the chains of oppression.  We must take the fight to their doorstep wherever and whenever we can.  We must speak up and speak out, for ourselves, for each other, for our kin and our enemy, for our children and their children; for our future and theirs.

We must not go silently.  We must be heard.

For as Burke said:

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing."