We were delighted to attend the national housing demonstration in central London on Saturday, 18 April 2026. Calling for rent controls and more council housing, the demo was supported by over 80 national and community groups campaigning for better housing.
We were blown away by how many groups, families and campaigns from across the country had found their way there.
Assembling at Soho Square Gardens, the march wound its way down Oxford Street towards Hyde Park Corner.
Image description: Photo of campaigners holding placards that read ‘Homes for people not profit’ are walking down Oxford Street in the sunshine, with a blue sky visible above.
We walked alongside members from Focus E15, a Newham-based campaign set up by mothers in 2013 fighting against social cleansing and for more social housing. They had an incredible banner!
Image description: Photo of a white woman wearing jeans and a yellow jacket holding a megaphone in one hand and a Palestinian flag in the other while walking in front of a large multi-coloured banner held up by fellow campaigners that includes phrases such as ‘Whose Homes?’, ‘Focus E15 housing campaign’ and ‘Permanent house for children’.
We also saw lots of members from Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth (HASL) who wore colour-coordinated scarves. There were many home-made banners, placards and other artefacts people brought to the streets to voice their discontent at current housing policy and say what they really need.
Image description: Picture of a person in a crowd of protesters holding up a white home-made sign that reads ‘CORPORATE GREED IS MAKING US HOMELESS’ in black letters. A double-decker bus is visible in the background, and the person walking in front is wearing a pink ‘HASL’ scarf around their head.
We also appreciated the solidarity from adjacent campaigns such as Camden Friends of Palestine, who understand that demolition, dispossession and the seizing of public land is a global issue affecting many different communities.
Image description: Members of BTA and Camden Friends of Palestine holding up signs that read ‘WELFARE NOT WARFARE’ AND ‘HOUSING FOR NEED NOT CORPORATE GREED – STOP BACTON TOWERS’. One BTA member is wearing a cardboard box with windows and doors painted on it that reads ‘Bacton Towers – spending more public money without public input’.
Being at the march really brought home for us that Bacton is by no means unique. Every campaigner we talked to had a similar story to tell, and many people immediately understood what we are fighting against because they are seeing the same thing happening in their neighbourhood – local authorities selling public land to private developers who promise to build council and affordable housing only to find excuses to drop their targets.
There is a much bigger movement for housing justice swelling up across the country, people are connecting, learning from each other and joining forces.
We are excited to be a part of it!
Bacton Towers Action 