The Young Socialists March for Jobs set out from Northampton for Bedford yesterday morning.
The marchers sent out an advance team to recruit new members before the main body of the march arrived.
In Bedford market, they spoke to Leo Musharu, who is studying electrical and electronic engineering at Bedford College.
He said: ‘I think your march is a good move. Some students don’t know how to make their point, how to raise their voices.
‘There had to be a time like last week, when students marched in London in big numbers.
‘Students are very hard up, and most have got big debts.
‘When I go to university I want to do a four-year long course. I’ve already applied for it.
‘I’ve worked out that by the time I’ve finished it, I’ll have debts of over £30,000.
‘It’s not a good future for working class families.’
David, a health service worker and member of Unison, added: ‘This government wants it both ways.
‘But you can’t cut the throat and expect the bloke not to bleed.
‘The bankers need chopping. It’s our money and our livelihoods that they’re giving away to them in bonuses.’
As the march left Northampton in the morning, John Howsam, a resident of the town for the last 23 years, joined behind the banner for well over a mile out of the town.
He said: ‘Kids have got a right to leave school and get a job.
‘It should be compulsory for employers to provide jobs just as health and education are provided at the moment.
‘I admire people like you that stand up to be counted.
‘I’ve stood outside the Queen Elizabeth’s Centre in London calling for Tony Blair to be tried as a war criminal and against the shooting dead of Jean Charles de Menezes.
‘And I think we cannot be invading other people’s countries, as we are doing, and expect them not to retaliate.
‘You’re to be admired, every single one of you.
‘You are not just fighting for jobs for yourselves, you’re fighting for everybody and for everybody’s jobs.’
On Tuesday afternoon, marchers were invited to speak to a sociology class at Northampton College, and held a very lively discussion with the students for 45 minutes or more.
March leader Joshua Ogunleye told them: ‘Education was a right won by the working class.
‘Our march is a march for young people to defend all the rights of the working class.’
Marcher Lydia Ngala said: ‘We have to make something out of this march.
‘We’re calling for all workers, students and lecturers to unite.
‘We want there to be a general strike to bring this government down.’
