On Britain's streets, Thatcher divides in death as in life

Flags were lowered to half-mast at Britain's parliament to mark the passing of Margaret Thatcher on Monday, and flowers piled up at her London home -- but at the other end of the political spectrum, left-wingers joyfully threw parties to celebrate her death.

On the streets of London's financial district -- whose power was fuelled by Thatcher's deregulation of the financial sector -- many passers-by reacted with sadness to the passing of the Conservative former premier.

"It's a shame, a crying shame. She's a good woman," said Alan Whiteford, a law firm employee.

"It's a sad day," added banker Nick Daking.

At Thatcher's former home in central London, a pile of flowers was growing on the doorstep.

"The greatest British leader and a true lady," one card read. "You make Britain what it is."

But in the edgy south London neighbourhood of Brixton, sworn enemies of the former Iron Lady held a street party to celebrate the death of former prime minister.

Holding placards saying "Rejoice -- Thatcher is dead", around 200 people gathered in the neighbourhood, a hotspot of alternative culture, and toasted her passing by drinking and dancing to hip-hop and reggae songs blaring from sound systems.

"I'm very, very pleased. She did so much damage to this country," said one man brandishing an original newspaper billboard from 1990 announcing Thatcher's resignation.

Others scrawled "Good Riddance" on the pavement.

"We've got the bunting out at home," said Clare Truscott, a woman in her 50s wearing a sparkly beret and holding a homemade sign reading "Ding dong, the witch is dead".

"I'm from the north, where there were no jobs, where the industry was rapidly disappearing, and her policies ensured it went more quickly."

Brixton was the scene of fierce riots in 1981, two years after Thatcher became prime minister.

Meanwhile, in Scotland's biggest city Glasgow more than 300 people gathered to hold their own party.

Anti-capitalist campaigners shouted, "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie" while the crowd replied "dead, dead, dead".

Coal miners were among Thatcher's bitterest foes during her 1979-90 premiership -- and for one senior mining official marking his birthday on Monday, her death was the icing on the cake.

"I'm having a drink to it right now," David Hopper, regional secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in northeast England, told AFP with unabashed glee.

"It's a marvellous day. I'm absolutely delighted. It's my 70th birthday today and it's one of the best I've had in my life." Others on the left also hailed Thatcher's departure as a cause for celebration.

"We'll be glad to see the back of her," Judith Orr, editor of the far-left Socialist Worker weekly newspaper, told AFP. "She ruined the lives of tens of millions of working class people in Britain.

"And she rejoiced in war.

"That was one of her most disgusting moments, but there is a long list of crimes."

Rights activist Peter Tatchell described the former Iron Lady as "extraordinary but heartless", saying she had presided over the decimation of Britain's manufacturing base and introduced "Britain's first new anti-gay law in 100 years", Section 28.

Yet he conceded that as Britain's first and still only woman prime minister, she had achieved something significant.

"To her credit, she shattered the sexist glass ceiling in politics and got to the top in a man's world."

A single daffodil was placed at feet of a statue of Thatcher outside the chamber of the House of Commons, or lower house of parliament, with a card saying: "You were an inspiration to women".

Online reaction to Thatcher's death was just as mixed.

"A great lady," wrote Labour-supporting technology tycoon Alan Sugar. "She changed the face of British politics, created opportunity for anyone to succeed in the UK. RIP."

"May she burn in the hellfires," tweeted left-wing firebrand lawmaker George Galloway.

Many of those celebrating her passing marked their tweets with the hashtag #nowthatchersdead -- causing panic among fans of the US singer Cher, as some took this to read: "Now that Cher's dead".