Snippets from the Put People First G20 rally.

"On 28th March 2009, 35,000 marched through London as part of a global campaign to challenge the G20, ahead of their summit on the global financial crisis.

Even before the banking collapse, the world suffered poverty, inequality and the threat of climate chaos. The world has followed a financial model that has created an economy fuelled by ever-increasing debt, both financial and environmental.

Our future depends on creating an economy based on fair distribution of wealth, decent jobs for all and a low carbon future.

There can be no going back to business as usual."

From www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk

I was one of the 35,000. Here's some snippets from my day

1. Crowd of Socialist Workers outside Embankment tube station. Selling the paper, handing out leaflets and offering placards. (I wish I could recall what each of the different organisation's placards said!) The first of many contingents of various flavours of socialists, all with own newspapers.


2. Service in Methodist Central Hall, Westminster. Not full, but I was on balcony and there must have been well over 1000 all told. Can't say Andy Flanagan and Band's electric music was quite to my taste... but the speakers were worth listening to.


3. Peter Meadows of the Bible Society spoke of the 'Poverty and Justice Bible'. Apparently there are over 2000 verses refering to poverty or justice in the bible, and if you remove all the pages containing them, there's not much of the Bible left. Someone had done it and he showed us the resulting slim volume.


4. Father Joe Komakoma from Zambia talked about the reality of the combined consequences of the financial crisis, climate change, and the pre-existing inequalities on people in Zambia. Over half the population don't get a proper meal each day, for example.


5. Christine Elliot of the Methodist Church had us doing one of those little things that I'm not sure I'm too keen on, but I have to admit was effective. Alternate members of the congregation asked to stand up: we were the poor. Then everyone else invited to stand up 'in solidarity' with us. Then they sat down again. "How do we feel?" "How do they feel?" "What do we want to say to each other?" etc.


6. Several more speakers... Revd Joel Edwards of Micah Challenge stood out for me. (I later learned that Joel is of the Evangelical Alliance - a very long way from my theology!)


7. I've not listened to it again, but the whole service is here


8. Left the Hall in groups to join the main march. Selection of placards to choose from on the way out... I ended up with a CAFOD one "Kick the carbon habit'


9. Carnival atmosphere on the march. Most of the bystanders seems friendly (strangly, more so, it seemed to me, than those in Coventry for 'Countdown to Copenhagen' march a few weeks back.) Never seen so much photography going on - the media, people on the march, and the 'general public'. (No photos from me, sorry. My phone's just a phone.)


10. Lots of foreign unions present, gave extra colour to the march. They tended to be more vocal.


11. "The-workers. United. Will-never-be-defeated". It's a long time since I've heard that!


12. Lots of fun fancy dress. A curious green creature was sat on top of one of the bus-shelters.


13. Seemed rather an unnecessary density of policemen along the route near Hyde Park.


14. More newspapers for sale: Socialist Worker (again), Socialist, Morning Star and The Respect Paper.


15. Events in Hyde Park hosted by Tony Robinson: always good value! A range of speakers from across the world: environmentalists and union leaders. eg:


16. "We were all backing Obama (sounds from the crowd, most in support, some dissent), but we now need him to deliver, We were all asked to chant: 'yes we can; yes we must; yes we will'"


17. "We own RBS now, so they should do what we want"


18. Tony Juniper quotes Gandhi about the difference between what we are capable of and what we actually do


19. Lots of famous people. Eg Susan George, a very famous name. Trouble is I can't now recall what she said.


20. Mark Thomas doesn't mince his words. "Neo-liberal capitalism is on it's knees and we must kill it off."


21. Mark Thomas again (I think). There was an average of less than one council house built per council last year.


22. Some thoughts on being a Christian at the rally