THOUSANDS of young workers and students occupied Westminster Bridge yesterday, determined to defeat the Health and Social Care Bill (HSCB), due to be read in the House of Lords tomorrow.
At Big Ben’s strike of noon, Westminster Bridge was strewn with hundreds of people, many wearing hospital theatre gear and red paint, as people lay down on the bridge. An enormous banner was unfurled across the full width of the bridge.
Demonstrators had come from all over the country to the protest called by UK Uncut.
PCS, Unison and Unite trade unions lent their verbal support, sending greetings through their websites, and paying for coaches, but there were no union banners, or official speakers.
Zoe Dexter, from Manchester University who had come down from Manchester, said: ‘I have to register opposition to the NHS bill, that will go through. I really hope this government breaks and won’t make it for a five-year term.’
Sarah McCullick, Zoe’s friend from Manchester, added: ‘It’s nonsense to say the privatisation will drive up quality.
‘Thousands of people will die because this Bill. Personally I think we should overthrow this government’.
Ivan Monckton, who was carrying a Unite flag, said: ‘We have to have this sort of protest and occupation becoming nearly a daily occurrence as it is in America.
‘We are going to see an escalation.’
Rachel Pony said: ‘I came down from Cambridge because the NHS is one of the few things in Britain to be proud of. We have to keep it free.
‘This is the beginning of the end and we don’t want to wind up like America.’
Martin Hall, from Epping, said: ‘This protest won’t change their minds. This government won’t change its mind about anything. They have seen the pot of gold, which is privatising the health service and they are going for it.
‘I would certainly support a general strike.’
Young Socialists National Secretary Joshua Ogunleye called for occupations to stop hospital closures and a general strike to bring down the coalition.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Andy Burnham has written to health secretary Andrew Lansley offering, ‘Drop your bill and we’ll work with you to reform NHS commissioning.’
Burnham said: ‘The NHS is now in the danger zone. You have failed to build a consensus around your plans. It’s time to stop digging in. Listen and change course or you will damage patient care.’