Police

Firefighters March Against Cuts

Firefights demonstrated in London this month against fire service cuts and changed in pension arrangements.

A march on 16 October, arranged by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), started on Malet Street, near the University of London Union, and made its way through the city to Westminster Central Hall.

Some in the crowd, who braved wet weather conditions, brandished signs saying “hands off our pensions”. Other wore T-shirts with the caption “elderly firefighters at work”, in a parody of the elderly crossing the road sign.

The protesters oppose government plans to cut funding to fire services and change pension arrangements so that firefighter will have to work until they are 60, rather than the current age of 55.

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, told demonstrators that the coalition was putting the country at risk by slashing funding and “forcing firefighters to work beyond the age at which they can physically do the job”.

Police tried to stop anti-facist club night, organisers say

The Metropolitan Police have been accused of attempting to cancel an anti-facist event held at the University of London Union on 12 October.

The organisers of the night told the Leopard newspaper that police tried to “pressure” acts not to attend and rang the venue to warn “unsavoury characters” would attend. They suggested that police faction might have been triggered by the offer of free entry to attendants with a bail-sheet from the anti-facist demonstration in Whitechapel last month.

Adrian Polglase, London Student: Issue 3 (28/10/2013)