UCU, UNISON and Unite strike in pictures

Watch Roar! Breaking, our collaboration with KingsTV on today’s strike action.
[youtube id=”PB8928Bwbv0″ width=”620″ height=”360″] Read Roar!‘s build up to today’s strike action.

It was a dreary Thursday morning as the picket line was formed outside King’s Strand Campus.

King’s VP for Academic Affairs Areeb Ullah rousing the troops.

UCU, UNISON and Unite are protesting a 13% pay decrease for academics in real terms since October 2008.

A photo within a photo – KingsTV Assistant Station Manager Jessy Howard covering the demo as part of the upcoming collaboration ‘Roar! Breaking’.

UCU representatives showing a colourful presence at the KCL picket line.

Some students still entered campus today, despite many lectures being cancelled and other students refusing to attend out of solidarity with strikers.

Protestors form a human blockade outside the front entrance to the Strand Campus, preventing students from entering. Since other entrances to the building remained accessible, this proved more of a symbolic act.

The last year for King’s encapsulated in one photo?

Protestors moved from the Strand to the London School of Economics, where a larger protest was assembling.

Today’s action was the first time higher education authorities have faced strikes from three unions collectively.

London Metropolitan University provided the only interactive banner of the day – that’s what we call inclusive demonstration.

UCU go all out for their banner, portraying the disillusioned masses of the strike quite effectively.

Roar! Politics Editor and King’s NUS delegate Michael Di Benedetto on the front lines of the protest.

Howard and KCLSU VP for Representation and Communication Anthony Shaw looking fierce. Who said demonstrations can’t be sexy?

Matt Watson, chair of UNISON London Met branch addresses the protestors.

Up close and personal – Head of Post Production at KingsTV GiedrÄ— BalsevičiÅ«tÄ— filming Areeb Ullah’s impassioned speech from the steps of LSE.

The Socialist Workers Party establishing a presence on the protest site.

The Unison and UCU banners are raised as they prepare to lead the march from the grounds of LSE.

The march progresses on to the Strand, as it heads off to join the main assembly at Tavistock Square at Westminster.

A UCU Picket Co-ordinator directs the march on to Kingsway.

Protestors take the roads and block traffic in central London.

UCU London Region form the vanguard of the march along Kingsway, soundtracked by the horns of the traffic behind them.

A strong body of protestors follow on, with the Socialist Worker Party forming a sizeable contingent.

Preparing for the future – one protestor proving you’re never too young to get involved in political demonstration.

The protest moves past King’s new Virginia Woolf Building in Holborn.

As the demonstration moves on its way to Tavistock Square, we are left to wonder just how much of an effect today’s action will have had in securing the pay increase academics are demanding, or if this is the start of a much bigger campaign.