London May Day and NHS protests pictures 2023: Guy’s and St Thomas’, Trafalgar Square and Clerkenwell

Marking International Workers’ Day, strikes and protest events were held in London on Monday May 1.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite members at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Hospital were on strike over pay and a march crossed the river to Trafalgar Square.

At the same time, the London May Day march assembled in Clerkenwell Green before also heading to Trafalgar Square. Trade union members, anti-fascist protesters, socialist campaigners, anti-capitalists and critics of the government’s policy towards migrants were among a number of groups represented.

The nurses’ strike was due to continue on Tuesday but a High Court decision last week cut it short, following a request by the government for the timing of the strike to be reviewed. A judge ruled that the full strike would fall outside the six months allowed.

RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said: “It is the darkest day of this dispute so far - the government taking its own nurses through the courts in bitterness at their simple expectation of a better pay deal.

“Nursing staff will be angered but not crushed by today’s interim order. It may even make them more determined to vote in next month’s reballot for a further six months of strike action.”