March/Demo for A Future that Works, Birmingham, 7 October 2012CE

Sunday 7 October 2012CE saw Birmingham’s Victoria Square fill with people: adults and children, men and women, workers, students, the unemployed and the retired. Those with physical, developmental, psychological and psychiatric challenges – and those without; gay, straight, bi; many faiths, races, languages…
You get the picture. If any assembled group of people could be considered ‘One Nation’ – our iconic statue of Queen Victoria looked out across them today.
Banners – so many colours, insignia and legends – demarcated the rallying points for the many groups and associations represented. And the placards, well, there are some very creative brothers, sisters and comrades out there.
A carnival-like procession formed up, with noise produced by a colliery band here, dhol drummers there – multicultural, Mr Cameron take note, multicultural seemed alive and kicking today – as a feeder march of teachers, lecturers and students joined the throng, swelling the numbers.
With flourishes, brass, drums and scores of vuvuzelas the march began and snaked away down Hill Street under the old Queen’s gaze.
The procession was peaceful, good-humoured, disciplined and well-stewarded. The police marched along with us – I do like the Police Federation’s poster campaign for the Tory conference: the poster depicts incident tape bearing the legend: ‘ OLICE OLICE OLICE’ and asks who has taken the ‘P’…
Banners lowered to pass under the Queensway and the canal in Holliday Street, then onto Broad Street past the cheering Sunday shoppers and wheeled right past uncomfortable-looking suits behind the police lines: conference delegates, perhaps?
Back under the canal, under Queensway, up Hill Street and the welcoming review of Queen Victoria to the rally in Victoria Square.
Others can argue the toss over statistics: numbers, timings, organisations present.
Unexpectedly the weather was beautiful: maybe the sun shines on the righteous.
I have some pictures I took with my phone’s camera. Feel free to comment.

Author: gogwit

One foot in Sanity, the other in the adjoining parish, usually in the vicinity of the boundary between the two but sometimes straying into the main square of either and very occasionally taking occupation of the Town Hall... View all posts by gogwit