The Hackney Greens, associated with Zack Polanski's party, have encouraged Britons "inspired by protests in France" to join a march in London against austerity. The call comes after days of violent unrest in France left around 1,000 police officers injured, with historical buildings burned down and shops looted.
March Planned Ahead of Autumn Budget
On Sunday, the day after violence erupted, the Hackney Greens shared an image urging inspired Brits to join a march against austerity in London, scheduled a day before John Healey's Budget. Florence Schechter, the cabinet member for finance, resident services and digital, promoted the "March against Austerity," to be held next Tuesday.
Ms Schechter wrote: "Inspired by the protests in France? We have our own protest in the UK the day before the autumn Budget is announced to tell our government what we think about austerity." The Hackney Greens shared the post.
Political Backlash and Defence
Political opponents slammed the move as "careless" and "irresponsible" after such violence and unrest, according to The Times. In some of the worst widespread unrest in France's modern history, looters dressed in black and wearing balaclavas took over cities across France, stealing shopkeepers' entire stock and setting fire to vehicles and buildings, including the historic Limoges city hall.
Tear gas and stun grenades were fired at hundreds of people in Paris, according to the AFP news agency, and bottles and rocks were hurled at police.
Ms Schechter, who founded the world's first Vagina Museum before her political career, defended the post as calls for peaceful protest. She said: "To speak to people who are inspired by protests is not an endorsement of violence. The media and political establishment consistently focus on respectability over people's real pain and needs.
"This only causes people to feel unheard and unsupported. Austerity is not just a topic: people are dying as a result of governments' decisions to cut spending and make our communities pay their debts, in France and here in the UK.
"Peaceful protest is an essential tool to make sure the government acts as urgently as we need it to."
Context of French Unrest
Before looters took over the protests on Saturday, some 550,000 demonstrators had taken to the streets in a largely peaceful manner against rising fuel prices, the cost of living and deteriorating public services, including schools.
French President Emmanuel Macron said there must be a distinction between the "legitimate demands" of protesters and "those who destroyed, smashed and looted."
