Students were amongst the 6,500 protesters who took to the streets of Edinburgh on Saturday in opposition to planned public sector spending cuts.

The march organised by the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) was a response to the Government’s spending review announced by Chancellor George Osborne earlier in the week, that unveiled £81 billion of spending cuts and the planned axing of up to 490,000 public sector jobs over the next four years.

The STUC led the demonstration calling for a “better way.”  
Speaking at the culmination of the protest in the Princes Street Gardens, STUC President Joy Dunn led the chorus of disapproval against the Government.

She said: “For the Tories that is not a crisis but a long awaited-opportunity to trash the public sector.

“A line has been drawn in the sand.  Now is the time for organised industrial action.  That is inevitable.”

The STUC offered their alternative solution to address the budget deficit of cracking down on tax evasion and by taxing banks more.  
The march featured a wide array of different Scottish unions along with staff from the NHS, civil servants, the police, teachers and lecturers as well as leading Scottish politicians.

Scottish Labour Leader Iain Gray marched at the front of the protest and voiced his concerns that the cuts were too deep and too fast. Commenting on the turnout, he said, “The turnout today shows that the people of Scotland believe there is a better way”.

Protesters also displayed their anger at the Liberal Democrats.  Protesters met the mention of the party and particularly the Scottish Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, with jeers when speakers brought up the issue.

Stuart Tooley, a 21-year-old Edinburgh University student who took part in the march, voiced his concerns for the future of higher education in light of the cuts.

He told The Herald, “No other country in the world is cutting education by as much as we are.  No sensible Government would do that.”

Police reported no major incidents during the protest.