LONDON, March 27 (UPI) -- A Saturday march by as many as 500,000 people in London protesting government cutbacks won't change economic policy, a British minister said Sunday.
Business Secretary Vince Cable told the BBC despite the march organized by the Trades Union Congress, the Conservative government wasn't about to alter its path to economic recovery.
"No government -- coalition, Labor or other -- would change its fundamental economic policy simply in response to a demonstration of that kind," he said.
Meanwhile, police said they had arrested 201 people, most of them after the march had ended when a group of about 150 people went on a violent rampage, Cmdr. Bob Broadhurst told the broadcaster.
"All was peaceful for quite a long while but then for some reason one of them made an attack on the Olympic [countdown] clock, we moved in to make an arrest, the next minute they're attacking us and they're trying to attack and damage the Olympic clock in Trafalgar Square," he said. "This is just mindless vandalism, hooliganism, it's nothing to do with protest."
Labor party leader Ed Miliband also issued a statement denouncing the violence.
"I unequivocally condemn those who have committed acts of violence," he said.
