On Wednesday 26 March, there was a nationwide groundswell against the Labour Party government’s brutal cuts to benefits, as chronically ill and disabled people came out in force for #WelfareNotWarfare protests. The enormous turnout in London was only part of it – as people around the country took to the streets to fight the cruel Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plans. Together, across the UK, chronically ill and disabled people, and their allies made it clear that government won’t get away with it without a fierce collective resistance.
Welfare Not Warfare: disabled people mount nationwide protests
While the major protest centred round Downing Street and Parliament Square in London, plenty turned out elsewhere in the country against Labour’s disgraceful plans.
In Aberdeen, Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) activists gave speeches and hosted a die-in to represent the chronically ill and disabled people Labour’s vicious cuts will kill:
In Aberdeen disabled people and allies had a rally and then a die in to show what the tragic human impact of welfare reforms will have on disabled people’s lives across the UK
Photo credit 📸 Fiona R pic.twitter.com/QrVvyAlGnr
— DPAC (@Dis_PPL_Protest) March 26, 2025
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Activists from Stop the War Coalition turned out in solidarity in Glasgow:
📣 “They say cut back, we say fight back!”
Cut war not welfare! Stop attacks on disabled people and no to increase in military spending.#WelfareNotWarfare @STWuk @Dis_PPL_Protest @SWANsocialwork pic.twitter.com/opREkfpOXr
— Glasgow Stop the War (@GlasgowStopWar) March 26, 2025
Meanwhile, in Newcastle, protesters even caught the attention of Reach Plc’s faux local news site ChronicleLive, with the outlet reporting “dozens of protesters” gathering in the city centre:
Disabled people rally in Newcastle to protest Rachel Reeves’ welfare cuts https://t.co/wUm2NA5WFt
— DPAC (@Dis_PPL_Protest) March 26, 2025
DPAC and Crips Against Cuts member Hannah Frost spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. At the protest, Frost highlighted the impact the cuts could have her as a wheelchair-user living with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). As the news site reported:
Speaking at the city centre rally, Hannah said: “They are trying to frame this as getting people back into work. But cutting our benefits will not help that, it will make it harder for people to work.
“I pay for medicinal cannabis through my Pip and without that I am in so much pain that I can’t sleep. How would I be able to work if I don’t have that extra money to spend managing my life? It is expensive needing a wheelchair”.
Bringing out the best in communities everywhere
Darlington drew a significant crowd with DPAC banners and speeches against the cuts:
@dpac Darlington protest against #WelfareNotWarfare pic.twitter.com/Uc6FpHerFl
— Wheelie MS Advocate – #WarOnTheDisabled – ♿️ (@WheelieFUMS) March 26, 2025
Good turnout in Darlington #WelfareNotWarfare @DPACne pic.twitter.com/xdt1ZDHhmz
— Dave Murphy ● (@davejmurphy) March 26, 2025
End Social Care Disgrace campaigners in Leeds brought attention to the connection between the cuts and systemic care failures in social care also impacting chronically ill and disabled people:
Protesters in Leeds #WelfareNotWarfare @DpacLeeds @Dis_PPL_Protest @TheCanaryUK @EndSCDisgrace pic.twitter.com/oTndpcPdK9
— Wheelie MS Advocate – #WarOnTheDisabled – ♿️ (@WheelieFUMS) March 26, 2025
@EndSCDisgrace joining in protests in Leeds #WelfareNotWarfare @Dis_PPL_Protest @TheCanaryUK @DpacLeeds pic.twitter.com/CUCxNMRZ9m
— Wheelie MS Advocate – #WarOnTheDisabled – ♿️ (@WheelieFUMS) March 26, 2025
Over in Derry, DPAC Northern Ireland activists gathered together outside the Guildhall:
#WelfareNotWarfare@DPACNIreland had a brilliant protest in Derry Northern Ireland pictures are here ⬇️📢📢📢📢 pic.twitter.com/fSdvjjsnix
— DPAC (@Dis_PPL_Protest) March 26, 2025
DPAC Norwich protesters took over the entrance to Norwich City Hall:
#DPAC protest against the shameless cuts on disability and welfare, #PIP, #DWP. People are not numbers or pounds to be cut from budgets. They are real lives, many cut short by being disabled, ill health or suicidality without the government helping! #WelfareNotWarfare #Norwich pic.twitter.com/NUBfAT9ADz
— Katy Jon Went (@katyjon) March 26, 2025
Labour’s proposals are leaving many chronically ill and disabled people fearful for themselves and their loved ones. As much as they were to resist the government’s callous cuts, the protests were also focal point for people to find solidarity and support. A poignant photo from Norwich of people sitting with a protester in distress showed how these demonstrations also brought out the best in our local communities:
Norwich City Hall 😢 #DisabilityBenefits #WelfareNotWarfare pic.twitter.com/EXRW97mO6A
— Dr Dawn Cavanagh (@Dawn26467771) March 26, 2025
Making sure Labour MPs got the message: Welfare Not Warfare
Some protests took the fight right up to the local Labour MPs’ offices to call on their representatives to oppose the cuts. In Chesterfield for instance, the protesters went to make some noise outside Labour MP Toby Perkins’ office:
People protesting in Chesterfield – home to the Labour MP Toby Perkins – right now #WelfareNotWarfare pic.twitter.com/MaTwt29uHg
— Canary (@TheCanaryUK) March 26, 2025
Well done #disabilityrights campaigners outside the offices of #Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins #OTD #disability #disabilitybenefits #RachelReeves #SpringStatement @Dis_PPL_Protest @D_Times #WelfareNotWarfare #TaxTheRich # pic.twitter.com/MKqqvAUAck
— James Eaden (@JamesEaden2) March 26, 2025
Activists in Cardiff continued the nationwide protests into the evening outside Labour Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens’ office:
Thank you @cardiff_people for organising tonight’s protest against the government’s proposed #DisabilityBenefits cuts. Was a pleasure to stand with and hear from people whose lives will be directly impacted by these decisions. @Dis_PPL_Protest #WelfareNotWarfare ✊🏼 #fibromyalgia pic.twitter.com/IJLPTpEVMw
— Miriam Bevan (@Miriammm) March 26, 2025
🔥@cardiff_people Stop the War on the Poor & Disabled demo outside the office of @jostevenslabour this evening. 👏👏👏 #welfarenotwarfare
Video credit: @sharktimeuk pic.twitter.com/cVsY76lF98
— People’s Assembly (@pplsassembly) March 26, 2025
All told, hundreds of protesters outside London came out on the National Day of Action. This was on top of the thousands in the capital. Overall, the multiple demonstrations all across the country showed the depth of opposition to Labour’s plans. Of course, it’s only the start of the fight back – but the government can be damn sure communities everywhere aren’t going to stop until Labour ends it war on chronically ill and disabled people.
Featured image supplied
