Reuters/Stefan Wermuth

David Cameron’s return to Downing Street fueled angry protests today in London with campaigners organized by The Peoples Assembly Against Austerity gathering at Conservative Party headquarters where members had earlier celebrated a majority government. The crowd then made their way to Downing Street to the home of the Prime Minister to voice their concerns. The following information was posted on the organization’s website encouraging people to mobilize through a Facebook page, it read,

“The Tories and their supporters in the press are preparing a post election plan to stay in office even if Labour and the SNP have more seats in Parliament. 

They are planning to declare that they are the legitimate government and have the right to form an administration.

This was the meaning of the recent Times editorial which urged Cameron to ‘Occupy Downing Street’. This will be a ‘constitutional coup’ against the wishes of the electorate.

That’s why we are calling for an immediate protest if this happens: 
Assemble: Saturday 9 May 1pm, Downing Street.

We cannot allow the Tories to get away with using a flagrant abuse of power to impose the most severe austerity this country has seen since the Second World War.”

Demonstrators carried banners stating “get the Tories out”  “screw the cuts” and “cull the Tories”. There were tweets calling for the media to cover the protests.

Crabstickz tweeted

Does anyone ANYONE know if the revolution will be televised Tories Out Now

Jen Dixon tweeted

Once again, it’s Twitter that reports the news as it happens Tories Out Now protests in London now.

Lee Jasper’s tweet read.

Are all the media at the PM’s media election reception? Downing Street Tories Out Now

Abu Muhammad tweeted,

Wow it’s all kicking off in London today… Apparently the country refuses to give bay’ah (loyalty) to the Gov’t, Tories Out Now

James Cropper posted the following video with the words, “police make arrests, chaos ensues Tories out, London”

The protest turned to scuffles, showing campaigners lying on the ground and photos emerged showing the tension between members of the crowd and police in riot gear. Kettling tacts were used to contain the crowd in designated areas and police horses were on the streets. There were reports of several arrests.

The Daily Mirror reported,

“One police officer and one member of police staff have been injured policing this protest.

“Both are being treated in hospital. The officer is being treated for a suspected dislocated shoulder. The member of police staff is being treated for a cut lip after being struck by an object.

The following images were posted on Twitter

(image Sara Firth)

 (image above David McHugh)

A photo was posted on Twitter with an expletive on a war memorial and suggesting damage from the Tories was much longer lasting than graffiti on stone.

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.