Thousands of people from across the UK will march through central London tomorrow (Saturday 28 March) ahead of the G20 summit to demand decent jobs and public services for all, an end to global poverty and inequality, and a green economy.

At a rally in Hyde Park, they will hear calls for a co-ordinated fiscal stimulus to create and preserve jobs, international action to ensure that an out of control finance sector never threatens the stability of the global economy again and a commitment from world leaders that they will move to a low carbon economy.

Members of Put People First – an unprecedented alliance of more than 150 unions, development, faith and environment groups - are calling on the G20 leaders to recognise that only just, fair and sustainable policies can lead the world out of recession. Supporters of Put People First range from the TUC to the Salvation Army, Friends of the Earth to Oxfam and Shelter to War on Want.

The organisers say that the march gives ordinary people a voice to express their anger at the policies that have seen poverty exist alongside huge top banker bonuses. A key message is that G20 leaders must not just fix the recession but make sure that the world emerges a fairer and greener place, and does not go back to pre-downturn business as usual.

The organisers have rejected as smears claims that the march will be anything other than a peaceful, law-abiding event suitable for all the family.

Glen Tarman of BOND, the chair of the organising team, said: "The Put People First march for jobs, justice and climate brings together more than 150 groups committed to making the event a peaceful and law-abiding call on the G20 governments to commit to policies that will deliver jobs, end poverty and move to a low-carbon economy.

"The event has been organised in full co-operation with the police and the Hyde Park authorities. We have no evidence that anyone attending intends to disrupt our plans, break the law or commit any acts of violence. Nor have the police informed us that they have any such intelligence.

"Put People First is not organising or collectively supporting any other demonstrations or protest events being held in the subsequent week to coincide with the G20 summit."

Marchers will assemble on the Embankment from 11am en route to Hyde Park for a rally at 2.30pm to be addressed by speakers and celebrities from the UK and around the world, including Luke Pritchard of the Kooks, activist-comedian Mark Thomas and singer Daby Toure.

Church leaders, including the Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, will join an ecumenical service at Central Hall in Westminster at 11am, which is expected to be attended by more than 2,000 people and which will then feed into the march at Westminster.

Union delegations and poverty campaigners will be coming from around the world, including Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Korea, USA, Australia, South Africa, Zambia, Canada and the Philippines.

Sue Mbaya, World Vision Director of Africa Advocacy, said: "The G20 Summit in London is a key opportunity for the richest nations to put people first and to tackle first and foremost the affects of the financial crisis on the poor who stand to be hit hardest. The World Bank estimates that this year alone the global financial crisis is set to trap 53 million more people into poverty in developing countries on top of more than 130 million driven into poverty in 2008 by the rise in food and fuel prices. These numbers cannot be ignored."

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Never before has such a wide coalition come together with such a clear message for world leaders. The old ideas of unregulated free markets do not work, and have brought the world's economy to near collapse, failed to fight poverty and have done far too little to move to a low-carbon economy. Of course the G20 will not solve everything in a day's work, but leaders must sign up to both boost the world economy and govern it better, and show us that they are trying to build a better world."

Dr Claire Melamed, Head of Policy at ActionAid, said: “Every day we are hearing stories from around the world of how this crisis is throwing development into reverse. As jobs are lost and children get pulled out of school what was a financial crisis is turning into a humanitarian catastrophe. The G20 leaders must not sit by and let this happen. They must agree new money to support poor countries now, and a change in the rules to make the system work better for poor people in the future."

Andy Atkins, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, said: “The G20 nations have a golden opportunity to tackle climate change through implementing economic measures that set us on the path to a low carbon future. Slashing energy demand and investing in renewable energy across the world could create millions of jobs and new green business opportunities. Rich countries must also release new money for developing countries to tackle climate change and to share in the prosperity a low carbon future will bring.”

Media contacts:
Anjali Kwatra, ActionAid: 020 7561 7633 or 07941 371357 anjali.kwatra@actionaid.org
Liz Chinchen, TUC: 020 7467 1248 or 07778 158175 media@tuc.org.uk
Jonathan Stevenson, Jubilee Debt Campaign: 07932 335464
Paul Collins, War on Want: 07983 550728
Kate Blagojevic, World Development Movement: 07711 875345
Asha Tharoor, ActionAid: 07912 387396

For celebrity information or interviews contact:
Jon Slater, Oxfam: 07876 476403

For information on the church service contact:
Jonathan Spencer, Tearfund: 07767 473516
Pascale Palmer, CAFOD: 07785 950585
Jo Barrett, Progressio: 07940 703911
Sophia Mwangi, World Vision: 07725 372864

Notes to editors
1. More than 150 organisations are now backing Put People First including Acord, ActionAid, Action for Global Climate Community, Action on Disability and Development, ACTSA, Advocacy International, Akina Mama Wa Africa, AMREF UK, Article 12 in Scotland, ASLEF, ATL, Avaaz, BECTU, BOND, Bosco Volunteer Action, Bretton Woods Project, CAFOD, Campaign Against Climate Change, Centre for Democracy and Development, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Change is Coming, ChildHope, Christian Aid, Christian Ecology Link, CND, Compass, Concern Worldwide (UK), Co-operative News, Connect, CWU, Dalit Solidarity Network UK, Defend Council Housing, Do Something About It, Down2Earth Down2Us, ECCR, Ekklesia, Engineers Against Poverty, Equity, European Movement, Everychild, Fairtrade Foundation, Fatima Women's Network, Find Your Feet, Fire Brigades Union, Footprint Friends, Friends of the Earth, GardenAfrica, Global Call to Action Against Poverty, GMB, Green New Deal Group, Greenpeace, HelpAge International, Hives Save Lives, InterHealth, International Service, Jubilee Debt Campaign, Justice for Colombia, Labour Start, Lattitude, Learning for Life, Merlin, Micah Challenge UK, MRDF, Musicians Union, Muslim Council of Britain, NAPO, NASUWT, National Pensioners Convention, National Union of Journalists, National Union of Teachers, NCVO, new economics foundation, New Internationalist, Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, Novas Scarman, NUS, One World Action, Oxfam, Pants to Poverty, PCS, People and Planet, Performers Without Borders, Philosophy Football, Plan UK, Progressio, Project Hope UK, Prospect, Red Pepper, RMT, Salvation Army, Save the Children, Share the World’s Resources, Shelter, Sightsavers, Skillshare International, SPEAK, Stamp Out Poverty, STOP AIDS Campaign, Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, Sudanese Women for Peace, Synergy Centre, Tax Justice Network, Teach a Man to Fish, Tearfund, The Other Tax Payers’ Alliance, Thirty-eight degrees, Tools for Self Reliance, Tourism Concern, Trade Justice Movement, Trades Union Congress, Trading Visions, Traidcraft, Transnational Institute, Transport Salaried Staffs' Association, UCATT, UCU, UK Aid Network, UNISON, UNITE, United Nations Association, Usdaw, VSO, War on Want, Welsh Centre for International Affairs, Womankind Worldwide, Women Opposing War, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, World Development Movement, World Vision, WWF.
For a full list please see http://www.bond.org.uk/pages/platform-members.html

2. For information on Put People First see http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk

3. For information on what Put People First is calling for from the G20 see: http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk/about-us/policy-platform/ and
http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ppf-policyplatform.pdf