March for the alternative

March 26th - the march for the alternative to the government cuts in London.  Estimates of the number of people attending vary but my colleagues and I side with the Guardian's estimate of 400,000, (based on various evidence from the number of coaches and trains to the sheer time it took to move along the march).  I can tell you one thing for certain.  The centre of London had traffic problems!

OK - say 100 people got excited and attacked some shops - shops that arguably deserved it as their owners pay effectively NO tax in UK.  But that leaves 399,900 people - all the people I actually saw in 6 hours included - who were there because they care what happens to the UK.  The atmosphere was uplifting.  There really is hope for humanity.

Just imagine - the cost of bailing out the banks recently is actually greater than the total amount that the government has spent on science since WW2!!  And we continue to pay bonuses to the bankers because they are ??good?? at it?

How do I choose just one photo from today?  The answer is that I just can't choose one.  The two that I have chosen show the good natured humour of an excellent day in London.

Now - regular readers will understand that I do not normally worship the police.  But today I can't offer enough praise for the soft touch that I observed.  The officers I spoke to were polite and sympathetic, guiding the protesters along the correct route but allowing tourists to go about their visit to London.  Well done to 'the Met'*!

* For readers outside UK - 'the Met' means "The Metropolitan Police", in London.