TUC National Demonstration Against Cuts

:-) love it

"What are you putting on your placards?" DD's (age 11) placard which I'm taking- "They're Tories. You can't really blame them. Oh, wait! Yes, you can!"
The child's a genius..

Good luck tomorrow everyone and have a great time.

Anyone else seen this? Made me smile. Happy Marching tomorrow everyone. Let's hope it makes some sort of dent.

really wish i was going to this but have to see mil, organised ages ago really wish you all luck who are going

So what are you putting on your placards then folks?

PS. Do you all know that women are being encouraged to wear suffragette colours (green and purple) to make a statement about how women are getting a particularly bad deal with the new government (it's not really "new" now is it).

The website says 1.30 for the rally. I don't imagine it will go on too late. 3pm maybe? 4?

I am thinking of heading in to town with my 2 DS, but for the rally part only. What time do you all think would be best to get there? Will it go on late do you think?

Am looking forward to it!

I'll definitely be there, with all my friends and lots of UCU members.

It's looking to be huge. I've been following the weather report all week, it's been changing every day. ;)

Latest news is that it should be slightly overcast and around 10 degrees during the day and freezing at night. So... make sure you bring stuff to keep warm in the evening!

We are going with our six year old and plenty of snacks for the day. Friends and colleagues are also going with their young children. There should be a lot of families and I can't see the police kettling in people with young children. You can join the march at various points if you don't want to do the whole march and once at the Rally in Hyde Park, there should be a lot of space for everyone. There is more information on marchforthealternative.org.uk/

Himalaya you'll be fine doing that. Plan your route well though. If I were you and had a baby with me, I'd probably avoid the beginning of the march (embankment) - I think that will be the most chaotic - and join the march somewhere like Trafalgar Sq. It should be less crowded/hassly at that end and it's then easy to slip away.

Ta smee, thats what I was thinking. But then if the West End is in total lock-down I may not be able to get where I need to be anyway! So I'll guess I'll risk it.

Himalaya, it's easy to slip off, but not so easy to get anywhere as they'll close streets and maybe some tube stations too. Plan your route carefully.

I'm going with my baby. It's a big, respectable, mainstream demonstration so I think the police will behave themselves!

So long as you stick to the main march and aren't on one of the more radical feeder marches it'll be fine, you won't be kettled.

Snacks, drinks, lots of layers depending on the weather, a hat and an AtoZ are my tips.

OK, this is a bit slack, but I have to be somewhere else in the West End by 2:30. Do you think if we went down earlyish (me and DS,11) we could march for a bit and then break off by about 1:45 so we could then slip away and walk/tube off? Is that a stupid plan and bound to go wrong, or worth it to show support in the morn?

Sadly I can't make it. I have however, been on a few demonstrations before.

The only advice I can give is to go with a bit of food, water and a mobile is handy.

Have fun, really wish I could be there.

Also, there is no chance a demo of this size will be kettled.

I'm taking my six year old DS, OP. Am sure it'll be fine. As the others have said, you can normally spot when trouble's about to start.

I think the violence at the student protests may well have done us all some favours, as it so didn't help the cause. They'll be a lot of pressure for a totally peaceful protest as that will be far, far more effective than one with any trouble.

I'm going, with my union, Unite. I am worried about kettling too but not about trouble, as know full well that Unite, like all the other unions, do peaceful protest very well

if you can't be there in person but want to be in spirit, there is an on-line action facebook group with loads of info, draft letters, ideas who to send them to etc

PM me if you'd like to know more or search 'Armchair Army' on fb

I'll be there.

Will be part of a trade union group and will stick with them.

I considered taking ds but decided against it in the end.

Big spread in G2 bit of Guardian today all about the march with lots of "normal people" talking about why they're going on the march.

Why do posters get sucked into replying to reactionary right wing illogical posts (thereiver) aimed at getting us into a lather? Just ignore. They're on the wrong side and they know it deep down hence their rude provocative carping.

Have wicked time on Saturday and the more there are the harder the containment will be. Publicise it as much as poss as the national media are pretty much ignoring it as per.

I think there's actually a lot of support from the police smashingtime. As you say, they're being shafted too.