Organised by the Manchester People's Assembly, yesterday's demonstration in Piccadilly Gardens brought together thousands of local people opposed to the Tory cuts. Trade unionists, the Occupy movement, the homeless, disabled, health service users, students, environmental campaign groups, anti-nuclear groups, political parties. The angry and the caring of all ages were there to fight back against the next round of cuts.
Inspiring talks and witty protest songs from people fighting the cuts, before a march in support of the homeless people's camp now set up in St. Ann's Square.
ReplyDeleteStart by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.- Francis of Assisi
And of course the Tories just won't listen. The same problem here.
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ReplyDeleteIn my experience these demos are mainly attended by public sector employees concerned about their own jobs, not about services to the public. Councils and the NHS still enjoy historically high employee numbers, only slightly down on the record numbers employed by the irresponsible New Labour government, and the public sector has had a very easy time of it during the financial crisis compared to most of the workforce.
ReplyDeleteMany people realise the need to restrict and control public sector spending, which is why we have a Tory government and why demos like this one attract only modest support.
It seems a bizarre point you make Pete. Of course some of those at the demonstration were the vulnerable whose lives are being endangered by Tory cuts. Most of the rest of us are compassionate individuals who support adequately funded services for all of society and who see through the Tory media’s propaganda of pretending that the world’s sixth largest economy needs to make cuts in the first place and that New Labour bankrupted the country- it was the bankers not Labour. Most people do NOT feel a need to restrict and control public sector spending - it;s why 76% of the electrorate did not want a Tory government.
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