Summary of Protest against the Labour Party Spring Conference
sprightly | 15.03.2004 14:17
Friday
The Manchester Evening Newt, a spoof newspaper produced specially for the event was published. Around 10,000 copies were distributed widely across the city from 8.00 on Friday morning to commuters, shoppers, delegates and other members of public.
See
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and
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Various street theater took place including one about climate change and this one:
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There was a mock trial of Tony Blair with guest speakers including ex-MI5 big-cheese David Shayler. Imagine lots of leninists and liberals telling each other how much and why they hate Tony Blair and lots of collective back-slapping.
There was a few hundred strong Fathers for Justice (
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"Show me the way to go to court, cos i'm stressed and i want to see my kids, i haven't seen them for about a year or two and its gone straight to my heart..."
They were followed by 6 or 7 riot vans full of police men.
Saturday
More Manchester Evening Newts distributed
Anti-war march started at about 1pm from Allsaints Park. There were about 1,500 marchers (personal estimate) and they marched up Oxford Road and passed the conference centre, pausing momentarliy for a bit of a shout.
Ironic "March for Capitalism" which started about 4pm from Piccadilly Gardens. 30 or so people dressed in suits marched down Market Street and through St Anns Square with a banners reading "Capitalism Rocks" holding placards with such ridiculous statements as "FCUK THE THIRD WORLD" and "BOMB MORE POOR PEOPLE". War, what is it good for? Its good for the economy, so buy more stuff and lets bomb more third world countries to make way for capital...Within 20 minutes two van loads of riot police turned up and were evaded for a while but then closed in and confiscated the banner and ripped up the placards because this was an "unauthorised protest". When the pro-capitalist marchers then regathered in the designated protest zone, they were still not allowed to protest.
There was a Trade Justice conference in Bridgewater Hall.
sprightly
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