Birmingham Budget Cuts at the protest at Parliament demo: 19th October 2010

Today, we went with the Birmingham protestors to London to cover the 'Protest at Parliament' campaign organized by the unions. Below is a transcript of the tweets posted as the events of the day unfolded.

9:56 A Protestor on the bus is furious that Sandwell are to close 4 elder care homes and make 230 caregivers redundant. Says cuts are crippling Britain
10:02 Two union convenors on bus representing Birmingham Council Workers are organizing a rally for the 2nd November to coincide with the council meeting.
11:06 Barabara on the Birmingham protest bus lost her job last month. It is the 5th time she's been made redundant. This is her first demonstration.
11:27 There is much talk on the Birmingham protest bus that Britain, like France, needs to pull together.
12:34 The Birmingham coaches have arrived in London, flags unfurled, vests donned, whistles distributed ... and walking towards demo.

13:21 Thousands of trade unionists in Westminster Methodist Hall get riled up by fiery speech by Tony Woodley of Unite.
13:27 14 year old girl aquits herself well, telling the crowd that Tory cuts cancelled her school rebuild and that the toilets were unusable.
13:37 Actor Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) says he doesn't want to play subsidized performances for Tory sons and daughters.
13:41 Cumberbatch draws cheers from London protestors when he asks "Is it asking too much for the Arts Minister to defend his brief?"
14:22 Protestors streaming out of the Methodist Central Hall while speeches are still ongoing. Anxious to lobby MPs?
14:44 Some of the protestors in London are dressed in Barney suits with signs saying "I'm a deficit slaying dinosaur"
15:07 Union leaders are telling their members they can't lobby Conservative or Liberal Democrat MPs because David Cameron has called a meeting to prevent it.
15:40 The Birmingham protestors finish with a pint at the Red Lion pub down the road from Downing Street - the closest they'll get to power today.

More on this story:
This is Local London >> Thousands join cuts protest rally
BBC >> Thousands protest again spending cuts
Crewe Chronicle >> Thousands join cuts protest rally

Tomorrow we will be blogging from the centre of Birmingham to report first hand on what the cuts mean and to get reaction from those affected.