by Charlotte Ndupuechi.
People from across Southampton came together yesterday (October 1) to join a rally in the centre of Southampton and support the growing campaign Enough is Enough! They joined thousands across the country, with over 50 other locations in the biggest wave of simultaneous protests in years.
With 700,000 people already signed up to the movement, this is clearly a campaign with growing support.
In Southampton there were speakers keen to step up to the mic from all sorts of sectors of society. Students, NHS workers and retired teachers all echoing the demands of the campaign.
“As one of the wealthiest countries in the world we cannot standby while people freeze to death in their homes this winter, while public services continue to be cut to the bone and with 1 in 4 children living in poverty, set to worsen during the cost of living crisis,” said one of the participants.
The campaign calls for a number of steps to tackle the cost of living crisis: a real pay rise, slashing the cost of energy bills, action to end food poverty, decent homes for all and suitable taxation for the rich.
As the pound plummets and we face a winter of uncertainty, it was a powerful message to see so many people out on the streets, not just in Southampton but across the country, many just wanting to feel like we were there, there to listen and to show support. This is not a campaign of one cause, one group, or one party. This is a campaign for everybody to truly stand together in solidarity and say that enough is enough!
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