ABSTRACT
The first source is a newspaper cutting from 29 May 1905 which derisively describes the marchers’ object of seeing the king to convince him to do something about unemployment. A newspaper cutting from the liberal Daily News, 1 June 1905, shows that the ‘Labour leaders’ in Leicester were not all in favour of the march. The Leicester marchers never did get their audience with the king, and their great demonstration in Hyde Park, planned by the Social Democratic Federation and the Independent Labour Party, was cancelled because of storms. The beautiful weather had the effect of inducing a larger number than usual to muster at the foot of the Rutland statue. Though it might entail hardships, they believed it would be a humane one in the end, and that it would be crowned with success. In the meantime efforts will be made to provide brass instruments for those of the men who can play.
