Hundreds of Thousands Protest in London to Save Jobs, Public Services

Fighting to save British jobs and vital services from drastic budget cuts, a half-million people marched Saturday in London in what is believed to be the country's largest union-organized event in more than 20 years.

Many protesters carried banners with such slogans as "Don't Break Britain" and "Defend Our Public Services."

British politicians are making arguments all-too-familiar to Americans, insisting that more than $130 billion in spending cuts and the loss of 300,000 public sector jobs is necessary to bring down the government's deficit, while tax loopholes for the rich remain wide open.

"Today let us say to (Prime Minister David Cameron): We will not let you destroy what has taken generations to build," said Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress. "Let's be brutally clear about these brutal cuts. They're going to cost jobs on a huge scale. They're going to hammer crucial services that bind our communities together, and they're going to hit the poorest and the most vulnerable hardest. Anyone who tells you different is a barefaced liar."