The protesters, many of whom were clad in yellow vests, marched under the banner ‘Britain is Broken.’ They demanded the conduct of general elections and called on working people to play an active role in resolving the crisis

The rail workers were on strike as part of the ‘Keep the Guard on the Train’ campaign, in defense of train guard jobs, which are critically important for safety.

Unions and activist groups pointed out that the 3.1% hike was a natural outcome of the privatization of railways that was initiated in the late 90s. They called for the re-nationalization of the service

Recounting the history of Britain’s railway network from post second world war till date suggests re-nationalization is the only way forward