When you take away trans people’s rights through one judgement and take away 30 years worth of progress. The trans community will not take it lightly. And today, we showed up to show why you don’t do it.
In 20+ protests all over the country with turnout in the hundreds and thousands, from Edinburgh to Brighton. And cities like London, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds, Glasgow, and so many more, showed that the trans community will not stand for it.
Credit to New English Architecture
In London, tens of thousands of people came to Parliament Square. Filling to the point of spilling over to the front of the Supreme Court, the court that served the ruling which caused these protests in the first place. After some speeches, the protest marched all the way to St James’ Park where more speeches were held and concluded. This also got a mention on BBC news.
There were many chants from the crowds like “Trans rights are human rights”, “HRT over the counter and for free”, and to highlight intersection in the crowd, solidarity chants like “Don’t cut pip, tax tax the rich” when they marched past the department of work and pensions.
In Brighton, people turned up in their thousands as well, despite a bloc from Brighton choosing to reinforce the protest in London. The protests in Plymouth and Reading also got a BBC news article.
Manchester also turned up with numbers greater than the massive turnout they got on Friday.
And in Sheffield, with a 300 strong crowd. Counterprotestors appeared in very small numbers and were shouted down and booed off. Highlighting the clear message that the anti trans activists aren’t going to win.
But it wasn’t just in England where all the protests happened. In Edinburgh, people turned out in the thousands as well. Starting off at the Mound. They marched all the way down Waverley Bridge and towards the UK government building where more speaking and chanting were done.
Credit Clear Shot Photography
People were chanting “Hey, Streeting, leave those kids alone” along with “Just another prick in the wall”. And to highlight why they were there, there were signs that read “Supreme Court – Our Blood is on Your Hands”.
At this point there are too many protests to mention in a short article. But the numbers that appeared are a feat in which anti trans activists would never achieve, ever.
But this isn’t it. It isn’t one gigantic show with no follow up. More protests are expected tomorrow, through next week, even into next weekend, and into May and June. And a strong possibility of more being organised in the meantime.
This isn’t going to be over soon. And we will continue to keep you informed on what is happening. And We will continue to update our list so you know where to go for more protests.
