Hundreds of people in Liverpool took to the streets as part of a national day of action to call on the government to act in the cost of living crisis.
The protestors gathered at St George's Plateau in Liverpool city centre as part of the nationwide 'Enough is Enough' day of action. The fast-moving campaign's mission statement demands "fair pay, affordable bills, enough to eat and a decent place to live. These aren't luxuries - they are your rights".
The campaign, backed by Labour politicians including West Derby MP Ian Byrne, is supported by trade union groups including the Communication Workers' Union and National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, as well as community activist groups such as ACORN, Fans Supporting Foodbanks and Right to Food Campaign.
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Rallies have also taken place in London, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Birmingham and 45 other towns and cities across the UK. Some 175,000 people signed up to march at the rallies, including around 1,000 in Liverpool.
Mr Byrne addressed the crowd from the roof of a fire engine. He was joined by speakers from the Fire Brigades Union, and trade unionists involved in the ongoing strikes at the Port of Liverpool, at National Rail and at Royal Mail delivery offices.
Mr Byrne told the crowd: "We've had forty years of Thatcherite inspired economic consensus, the privatisation of our utilities, underpinned by draconian anti-trade union laws designed to stop us fighting back. But it's not bleeding working, is it?
"Look at what we're seeing here. Look at what we're seeing across the country. Enough really is enough."
People in the crowd cheered the speakers on while holding banners and placards with slogans including "support the strikes" and "defy Tory rule".
The rally was the second in the city following a stirring gathering at St George's Hall on September 2. MPs, celebrities and trade union figures including Mr Byrne, Labour MP Zarah Sultana and MMA star Molly 'Meatball' McCann spoke to a crowd of around 1,000.
Mr Byrne previously told the ECHO : "We formed Enough Is Enough five months ago with five basic demands which we thought would transform society for the better. We should eradicate food poverty, live in decent housing, have pay that keeps your head above water. These are basic demands we should all be fighting for across all elements of politics.
"There's 50 major rallies across the country, and it's an opportunity for people to stand up and say the system isn't working for them, and send a message loud and clear to the political elites in Westminster that they need to be listened to.
"We're trying to pull everything together to create a vocal pressure group so we can actually amplify the messages that we are getting from our communities about how people are struggling.
"In our great city, many many people are struggling, both in work and out of work, and unfortunately right now work isn't paying enough. What we need in this country is a far fairer system for everybody, so people have actually got hope. It's a really pivotal moment. People have had enough."
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