Thousands hold 'Enough is Enough' rallies across UK amid cost of living crisis

'People can't continue to live like this', one protester warns govt, demanding decent pay raise matching inflation

LONDON:

Thousands of people across the UK flocked to the streets on Saturday to raise their voice against the cost of living crisis in the country facing 40-year-high inflation in recent weeks.

The rallies organized by some worker unions and climate change activists were held in all major cities, including the capital London,

Hundreds gathered outside one of London's main train stations, King's Cross Station, which is currently is closed due to a strike by railway workers.

‘People can't continue like this’

The country has been in "a crisis of the economy that's been going on a long time," Tim, a protester, told Anadolu Agency.

"People have been poor for a long time. And now, the oil crisis and the escalating cost in energy is just unbelievable for people.

"People can't continue to live like this."

Tim thinks there should be more action by people against the current crisis.

"I have colleagues at work who have worked out their weekly money and they can't afford to actually live once they pay their fuel bills and once they pay all the other rising costs," he said.

"One of my colleagues, his rent's gone up 17% just last week -- 17%! We're not getting any kind of pay raise like that. Our pay raise at the moment was something about 8%. That's a massive pay cut for us," he added.

"Now, thankfully, people have stood up and said we can't carry on anymore.

"That's why we're here today. Supporting the RMT (Maritime and Transport Union) and the CWU (Communication Workers Union), the post office (who) are on strike today, as well, because it's time for working people to get together and to take action."

Government should go

Helen, another protester at King’s Cross, said she was there because she suspected the current government, is "influenced by dark money."

"There's lots of this dark money. Think tanks that influence Liz Truss. She's just a puppet for them," she said, adding that the country's latest prime minister is "on the far, far right."

According to Helen, "people are going to really suffer in all sorts of ways."

"And we don't know where it's going to end. We need to get rid of them. We need to get rid of this Tory government."

Helen also said the mini-budget, a measure recently revealed by the government, which gave massive tax cuts for those earning more than £150,000 ($167,000) would be "disastrous for this country."

"I mean, we need to sort of seize the initiative on the left and get rid of these people. I mean, it means real hardship for people. It means it affects pensions. It affects people's rents, people's mortgages, people's gas bills, everything. People don't afford it."

Horrific cost of living

Sarah, another protester who joined the action said she was there "for the climate and against the horrific cost of living."

Describing the mini-budget as a measure, "for the rich" she said: "We are determined to survive and we're demanding caring for all those who care for people and the planet, the land, the environment, their home, and the community."

"And, we think that's the only way we can survive and save the planet ... We're demanding back all the money that's been stolen, that belongs to us. We intend to get it back," she said.