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Fun And Anger On Pensions March
By Damian Jones
BBC News Online,
June 20, 2004
The "Pay Up for Pensions" rally proved to be a peaceful march across central London despite the fact that feelings were running high.
Around 3,000 people armed with banners, balloons and flags marched from Embankment to Trafalgar Square.
The sound of screaming whistles and the crack of football rattles created a carnival atmosphere which was more like a football match than a march.
As the crowd crept slowly towards Westminster, chants of "Free the fund, free the fund, free the fund" rang out in full voice.
When the protesters paused outside the House of Commons, the protests grew louder as campaigners shouted: "What do we want?" to which the crowd replied: "Pensions!".
Before long their attention turned to the Prime Minister as cries of "Tony Blair we don't care," rang out across the streets of Westminster.
As the protesters moved towards Trafalgar Square, the band, Heroic, kept the mood light with renditions of Down By The Riverside, When I Grow Too Old Too Dream and When Your Hairs Turn Silver.
Band spokesman Emile Martin said: "We have played at many marches but this is one we really believe in.
"This is a very important day for pensioners and we are here to give our support."
Pensions crisis
Protesters travelled from the far corners of the UK to highlight the UK's pensions crisis.
Leader of the Plymouth Pensioners Group Paddy Ryan, 84, believes that drastic action needs to be taken to improve the current scheme.
He said: "State pensions have been falling in value since 1985. We need them to increase again.
"We expected the Labour government to give us a decent deal. Tony Blair promised us that but we've never had it. We have worked all our lives and we deserve something back.
"We believe pensioners should take direct action to achieve their aims. The time has come for us to start taking that action."
Retired joiner Terry Hutt, 69, from Waltham Abbey, showed his defiance by sporting a sweater which simply said: "Not Dead Yet".
"I do get a decent state pension but I am heavily taxed on it and that isn't right.
"The Government keeps hoping that we will go away but we come back every year. Tony Blair promised us the world when he came in and he hasn't kept his promise," he added.
Scrapped
Many pensioners at the march were angry that they have had to rely more and more on private earnings since the state pension earnings link was scrapped under Margaret Thatcher.
Secretary of the National Pensioners Convention for Greater London Dot Gibson, 69, only receives a minimum of £105 a week from her pension.
But she believes that Saturday's march was a step in the right direction.
She added: "I am very pleased with this convention. It is a big step forward.
"We want the state pension to remain strong as well as the occupational pension scheme.
"The state pension should be the main pension and it needs to be improved.
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