Russell Brand and Charlotte Church address anti-austerity march

Comedian Russell Brand and singer Charlotte Church are among celebrities addressing thousands who joined an anti-austerity march in London on Saturday. The march, predicted by organisers to be London’s biggest in years, calls for the halting and reversal of spending cuts imposed by the previous Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition and further measures proposed by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne for the new Conservative government to enact.

It will be the start of a campaign of protest, strikes, direct action and civil disobedience up and down the country. We will not rest until austerity is history, our services are back in public hands and the needs of the majority are put first.

Protesters Sam Fairbairn of protest organisers the People’s Assembly

Other set to address the rally include Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, firefighters’ leader Matt Wrack, Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn and Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness.