Summer budget 2015: Anti-austerity protesters hold 'die-in' outside parliament

The People's Assembly Against Austerity held a 'die-in' on 8 July outside parliament, just hours after chancellor George Osborne presented his summer budget, the first solely Conservative budget in nearly 20 years.

Hundreds of people took part in the protest that also showed solidarity with Greece's rejecting of austerity measures. Osborne vowed to cut welfare spending further, lower taxes and reduce corporation taxes.

John Rees of The People's Assembly Against Austerity said that protesters released black balloons and staged a 'die-in' to symbolise human costs of Osborne's welfare cuts.

"What we have done, is to release black balloons and have a die-in to symbolise those people, who we know have died directly as a consequence of austerity. The last estimates of this, which was two years ago, was that ten thousand people in this country have died from the direct effects of austerity,'' Rees said.

The protest was dubbed 'Oxi to Osborne' by its organisers in a reference to the Greek referendum against austerity, where people voted 'oxi' (no) to further International Monetary Fund (IMF) and eurozone-imposed measures.

Some scuffles broke out between protesters and police after a group of officers confiscated a loudspeaker.

Protesters responded by blocking the road outside of the Treasury and shouting anti-Conservative slogans, many of which were directed at the chancellor.