Disabled people launch biggest fightback against the government in a decade

If you missed the #WelfareNotWarfare protest from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) – supported by Stop The War and the Canary – then either a) you haven’t been reading us, or b) you weren’t on social media on Wednesday 26 March. Because chronically ill and disabled people and their allies launched their biggest protest for almost a decade – and it showed that the Labour Party is going to face resistance to its attempts to cut people’s benefits – and potentially kill them.

Welfare Not Warfare: disabled people protest and occupy Whitehall and Westminster

Proceedings kicked off at Downing Street. There was the main assembly organised by DPAC and Stop The War. This saw speakers and groups including Million Women Rise, Support Not Separation, and others gather on the opposite side to Downing Street:

The protest saw speeches from disabled people and their allies – including former Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell. McDonnell told the crowd:

Disabled people are facing the biggest cuts to their benefits in a decade, causing immense harm… Full support to DPAC which is standing up against this attack… This is not what Labour government’s do.

Corbyn said:

If you cut big holes in the safety net, people fall through. You see them sleeping on the streets. You see them begging. That’s what happens when you destroy the security of our welfare state. Poverty is not going to be solved by spending more and more money on weapons of mass destruction.

You can watch all the speeches via the Canary’s Facebook livestream:

Then, right outside Downing Street some more lively protesters had gathered. They include people from Stand Up to Racism, Fossil Free London, DPAC, Queers For Palestine, and other groups:

Police were being problematic. As we previously reported, horses were deployed for disabled people and cops tried to stop us filming. Our friend from DPAC, Carol, was arrested:

While cops got handsy with others:

DPAC had organised what is becoming a traditional protest – saying balls to the government with actual balls being thrown at Downing Street and the cops inside it:

Roadblock!

Then, wheelchair users led protesters onto a road block:

Around 1,000 people moved from Downing Street to the main junction at Parliament Square. You can watch the Canary’s livestream of the march here:

Police were trying to force people back onto the pavement, but failed to do so – and then protesters simply stopped:

Westminster was then brought to a standstill, amid chants of ‘welfare not warfare’, ‘no more benefit cuts’, and ‘whose rights – our rights’:

Eventually, people continued to move down to Old Palace Yard – but even then, protesters were snaking back to Whitehall:

Welfare Not Warfare: disabled people will be back to protest at Westminster

At Old Palace Yard, more people spoke as the protesters joined a Homes For All rally:

The Canary had multiple team members on the ground throughout the day. It was arguably the biggest mobilisation of chronically ill and disabled people in Westminster since DPAC blocked the main bridge out of Parliament in 2016:

Of course, this is only the beginning of Labour’s assault on chronically ill and disabled people. So, there will undoubtedly be more protests and resistance to its plans. And given the turnout and strength of feeling shown on 26 March, opposition is going to be fierce.

Featured image and additional images and video all via the Canary