LONDON

Thousands of British people held a march in London on Monday to mark Labor Day.

Large crowds from various socialist and communist groups as well as members of several unions gathered outside the Marx Memorial Library.

People later marched towards Trafalgar Square in central London as they chanted anti-coronation, anti-imperialism and anti-war slogans.

Meanwhile, the groups also carried signs in support of refugees and strikes by the National Health Service staff.

Speaking at the demonstration at Trafalgar Square, Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said the government's policies make some people "destitute" in the UK.

"There are people all over the world being exploited by the one system that oppresses us all, which is the capitalist system," he said.

Lynch decried the strikes (minimum service levels) bill and criticized the government's policies, saying "their austerity measures" are making people poor every day.

"We will not be bound by anti-trade union laws ... We will continue to fight no matter what they do to us, no matter what laws they bring in, no matter what public opinion they try to pervert," he added.

This year, the UK government announced a strikes bill to limit the impacts of strike action on the lives and livelihoods of the public.

For his part, Paul Fleming, general secretary of Equity, performing arts and entertainment trade union, said the union has 47,000 members of performers and creative practitioners.

"We believe as certainly as any other union here that every single working person have the rights to be an artist, they have the right to go to theatre, cinema, ... and the right to have their stories told," he added.

Fleming stressed they also believe that all artists have a right to a "dignified" working life.

About plans to privatize Channel 4, which was later formally abandoned, he said this is one of the victories for them this year.

Fleming called for solidarity as he concluded his remarks.

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May Day Rally and March in UK