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<P><A
title="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/22/anti-cuts-campaigners-trafalgar-square-tahrir
CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/22/anti-cuts-campaigners-trafalgar-square-tahrir">http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/22/anti-cuts-campaigners-trafalgar-square-tahrir</A><BR>
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<H1>Anti-cuts campaigners plan to turn Trafalgar Square into Tahrir Square</H1>
<P id=stand-first class=stand-first-alone>Student activists draw inspiration
from Egypt protests and call for 24-hour occupation of London
landmark</P></DIV><A class=contributor
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/matthewtaylor">Matthew Taylor</A> <BR><A
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/">guardian.co.uk</A>, Tuesday 22 March 2011
08.01 GMT<BR><A id=history-link-byline class="rollover history-link"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/22/anti-cuts-campaigners-trafalgar-square-tahrir#history-link-box">Article
history</A> <BR></DIV><BR><SPAN class="inline embed embed-media"><SPAN
class=caption>Footage of G20 protests in 2009 shows police using batons and
shields to quell City of London demonstrations <A
title="Video will start automatically on this page"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/mar/21/g20-protest-police-tactics">Link
to this video</A> </SPAN></SPAN>
<P>Campaigners against public service cuts are calling for a 24-hour occupation
of Trafalgar Square – drawing inspiration from revolts in the <A
title="More from guardian.co.uk on Middle East"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middleeast">Middle East</A> – to coincide
with Saturday's trade union <A title="More from guardian.co.uk on Protest"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/protest">protest</A> in <A
title="More from guardian.co.uk on London"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/london">London</A>.</P>
<P>Student activists who organised <A
title="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2010/nov/10/demo-2010-student-protests-live
CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2010/nov/10/demo-2010-student-protests-live">last
year's demonstrations</A> say there will be a rolling programme of sit-ins and
protests on the day and have called on people to occupy the central London
square turning "Trafalgar into Tahrir" – a reference to the gathering point in
Cairo that was at the heart of the <A
title="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/egypt
CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/egypt">revolution in Egypt</A> earlier
this year.</P>
<P>"We want Trafalgar Square to become a focal point for the ongoing
occupations, marches and sit-ins that will carry on throughout the weekend,"
said Michael Chessum from the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts. "There
are a lot of smaller scale demonstrations and actions planned and, just as we
have seen in recent protests in the Middle East and north Africa, we want to
create an ongoing organising hub."</P>
<P>Saturday's main demonstration has been organised by the TUC and is expected
to see more than 200,000 people – including public sector workers, families and
first-time protesters – take to the capital's streets to oppose government
cuts.</P>
<P>This month the TUC general secretary, <A
title="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/14/tuc-phoney-war-against-government-over-brendan-barber
CTRL + Click to follow link"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/14/tuc-phoney-war-against-government-over-brendan-barber">Brendan
Barber, promised a barrage of protests</A> against the cuts, ranging from
industrial strikes and "peaceful civil disobedience" to petitions by Tory voters
in the shires.</P>
<P>The plan to occupy Trafalgar Square is the latest in a wave of proposed
sit-ins, occupations and "people's assemblies" that activists have branded a
"carnival of civil disobedience".</P>
<P>"We have seen time and again that marches from A to B do not achieve their
objectives," said Chessum. "This is about creating an ongoing movement that will
put pressure on the government. This is the start of what is going to be a hot
summer of protest against the ideological nature of what this government is
doing."</P>
<P>The call for an occupation of the London landmark is backed by student
groups, activists and two Labour MPs – <A
title="More from guardian.co.uk on John McDonnell"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/john-mcdonnell">John McDonnell</A> and
Jeremy Corbyn. In a <A title=""
href="http://march26tahrir.wordpress.com/the-call/">joint statement</A> they
have called on people to "stay in Trafalgar Square for 24 hours to discuss how
we can beat this government and to send a message across the globe that we stand
with the people of <A title="More from guardian.co.uk on Egypt"
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/egypt">Egypt</A>, Libya, <A title=""
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/24/wisconsin-union-rights-protest">Wisconsin</A>
and with all those fighting for equality, freedom and justice.</P>
<P>"We want to turn Trafalgar Square into a place of people's power where we
assert our alternative to cuts and austerity and make it a day that this
government won't forget."</P>
<P>Alongside the main march, which will set off from the Embankment before
making its way to Hyde Park for a rally, anti-cuts campaigners say they plan to
occupy some of the capital's "great buildings", close down scores of high street
stores and occupy Hyde Park.</P>
<P>UK Uncut, a peaceful direct action group set up five months ago to oppose
government cuts and protest against corporate tax avoidance, is planning to
occupy and force the temporary closure of scores of shops on Oxford Street on
Saturday afternoon.</P>
<P>Meanwhile, student groups will meet at the University of London student union
building in Bloomsbury at 10am. Some are then expected to make their way to the
main assembly point in a "feeder march"; others will peel off to take part in
various "direct actions" .</P>
<P>"Since Christmas the movement has become much more autonomous," <A title=""
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/14/anti-cuts-campaigners-26-march">one
veteran of last year's protests told the Guardian last week</A>. "There are
smaller, semi-independent groups planning small-scale direct action against a
range of targets. It will be a bit of a disappointment if we get to the end of
the day and one of London's great buildings is not occupied. We have to make an
impact."</P>
<P>Online, other groups are calling for more widespread direct action on
Saturday. An organisation calling itself Resist 26 claims it will stage a number
of "people's assemblies" along the route of the march. Under the banner "Battle
of Britain" it is calling for a 24-hour occupation of Hyde Park and "after
parties" at famous London landmarks including Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham
Palace.</P>
<P>Scotland Yard says it has worked closely with the TUC to ensure the
demonstration passes off peacefully and senior officers are due to give a
detailed briefing on police plans on Tuesday morning.</P><BR>
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