AFP - Britons are descended en masse on Saturday in the streets of London to say no to austerity, a manifestation of a magnitude rare in a country not customary for such demonstrations social, but tarnished by vandals.
The unions, who dreamed of making this day a milestone in the mobilization against the austerity policy, believe they have won their bet, even if they complain clashes with police at the march, which ended in nine arrests five policemen injured.
"We are absolutely delighted: there are hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps half a million, welcomed Paul Nowak, an official of the organization.
A spokesman for the Confederation of British unions, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said that "between 250,000 and 300,000 people" had responded, and some media evoked in the absence of police estimates, 400,000 to 500,000 participants.
"This is the biggest event in London for a generation," enthused the union Unite.
This rally is actually the largest in London since the war against Iraq, which brought together nearly one million people in 2003.It is also the largest social movement since the riots two decades ago and which precipitated the fall of Margaret Thatcher.
A large police contingent had been set up by the TUC, in addition to the 4,500 police officers mobilized, not to relive the excesses of student demonstrations this fall, who had stunned the British.
But clashes have broken out anyway in the march. Disrupters were attacked with paint and glass bottles of stores and banks and smashed windows, around Oxford Street, a major shopping street.
Bulbs filled with ammonia were thrown at the police, police said.The Ritz has been made the target of projectiles and activists broke into the famous department store Fortnum & Mason.
Unions have bitterly deplored the violence scenes, especially as the parade itself was held for more than five hours in a friendly atmosphere.
Many had come with family, strollers and vuvuzelas, the famous horns used by fans at football matches in South Africa.
Scots played the bagpipes and musicians and dancers have joined the march, giving it an air of carnival.
"Do not break Britain," "Defending our public services," proclaimed the banners.
"I'm here because the government wants us to pay to repair what did the bankers.It is currently building a society where the rich are even more, and weak, the poor, "said Gillian Siddons, a retiree of 60 years.
"People are gathered today the spokespeople of Great Britain deep," shouted the leader of the opposition Labour Ed Miliband as a warning to the government, which imposed a cure to the country of unprecedented stringency with wage freeze for civil servants and removal of more than 300,000 public sector jobs.
"Of course people are worried and even angry at times, but we inherited an economic situation that we must take steps to bring public finances back in balance," pleaded the Minister of Education Michael Gove.
