Westminster came to a standstill this weekend as hundreds of anti-austerity protesters put two fingers up to the new Tory government. UK Uncut campaigners marched over Westminster Bridge on Saturday, blocking the road as they painted a banner reading: “£12bn more cuts, £120bn tax dodged, austerity is a lie.”

The 20m banner was then draped from the bridge to face Parliament as protesters cheered.

UK Uncut spokeswoman Beth Cunningham said: “With the new government being sworn in on Wednesday we just wanted to send a clear message that we are going to be fighting the cuts.

“Direct action is what works. It sends a loud and clear message that people aren’t happy and it’s part of acknowledging that our current political resources aren’t enough.”

The action took place a mere 500 yards away from another large protest against the government’s plan to write off the Human Rights Act.

Though the policy did not find its way into the Queen’s Speech last week, many believe the Tories are committed to ditching the Act to be replaced by a British “Bill of rights.”

Human-rights NGO Legal Observers director Matthew Varnham said: “Governments need to be held to account when they get it wrong.

“Steps already taken to restrict the circumstances in which judicial review proceedings can be taken demonstrates an existing reluctance of this government to face challenge. “Their refusal to show their cards in relation to their almost universally hated policy to repeal the Act suggests that there is currently everything to fight for.”

@abour MP John McDonnell and Lib Dem MP Tim Farron stood outside Downing Street in support of human-rights campaigners.