Two Hundred March Against Wirral Cuts
Neon Black | 12.01.2009 21:31 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Liverpool
As hundreds of thousands in London, Edinburgh and around the world demonstrated against Israel's genocidal attacks on Gaza, a much smaller protest took place in Wallasey, Merseyside. While it would be inappropriate to draw many parallels between the two, it can be said the struggle for life and freedom in Palestine and for decent public services in this country have one thing in common: they represent squares in the global chess match between the profit system and the rest of humanity.
Fate prevented there being a high turnout: apart from the fact of the Palestine demo, it was a bitterly cold Saturday morning, and publicity had been in very short supply. Despite all this, about two hundred people braved the conditions, and marched the two miles from Wallasey Town Hall to the threatened Wirral Museum in Birkenhead.
The event was a slightly odd one, and proved the old saying that 'politics makes for strange bedfellows'. Anarchists marched behind Conservatives, who clapped a Socialist Workers Party speaker (prospective Wallasey and Moreton Tory MP Leah Fraser even briefly held a Unite placard, before presumably thinking better of it). Workers who jobs are faced with the axe were present, along with trade unionists and people from smaller socialist parties. Quite a few children also marched.
At the Birkenhead rally, several speeches were made, and everyone condemned Wirral Council's plan to close twelve libraries - Birkenhead Central Library and many local branches - plus two leisure centres (including Guinea Gap Baths, right next to the Town Hall), Pacific Road Theatre and the Wirral Museum at Birkenhead Town Hall. Labour Council leader Steve Foulkes has pledged "better but fewer" services, and has the support of Lib Dems within his coalition.
During the last week, more than two thousand people have attended the Council's sham 'consultation' meetings, and have overwhelmingly shown their hostility to the cuts. The 'Save Wirral's Services' Facebook group has over three thousand members. Many letters have been written to local papers. In the end however, the decision rests with the Wirral Cabinet, when they meet on Thursday, 15th January.
Nationally, the Conservative Party openly wants to "shrink" the public sector, yet for now the local Tories continue to speak left of Wirral Labour and Lib Dems over the proposed cuts. For their part, the trade union leaders did not propose any industrial action yesterday.
Politics only makes for strange bedfellows so long as each person thinks it's in their interests to snuggle up. After the official political process runs its course, we'll see who's in a committed relationship with who.
For videos of the event, visit:
http://uk.youtube.com/user/adnauseam81
The event was a slightly odd one, and proved the old saying that 'politics makes for strange bedfellows'. Anarchists marched behind Conservatives, who clapped a Socialist Workers Party speaker (prospective Wallasey and Moreton Tory MP Leah Fraser even briefly held a Unite placard, before presumably thinking better of it). Workers who jobs are faced with the axe were present, along with trade unionists and people from smaller socialist parties. Quite a few children also marched.
At the Birkenhead rally, several speeches were made, and everyone condemned Wirral Council's plan to close twelve libraries - Birkenhead Central Library and many local branches - plus two leisure centres (including Guinea Gap Baths, right next to the Town Hall), Pacific Road Theatre and the Wirral Museum at Birkenhead Town Hall. Labour Council leader Steve Foulkes has pledged "better but fewer" services, and has the support of Lib Dems within his coalition.
During the last week, more than two thousand people have attended the Council's sham 'consultation' meetings, and have overwhelmingly shown their hostility to the cuts. The 'Save Wirral's Services' Facebook group has over three thousand members. Many letters have been written to local papers. In the end however, the decision rests with the Wirral Cabinet, when they meet on Thursday, 15th January.
Nationally, the Conservative Party openly wants to "shrink" the public sector, yet for now the local Tories continue to speak left of Wirral Labour and Lib Dems over the proposed cuts. For their part, the trade union leaders did not propose any industrial action yesterday.
Politics only makes for strange bedfellows so long as each person thinks it's in their interests to snuggle up. After the official political process runs its course, we'll see who's in a committed relationship with who.
For videos of the event, visit:
http://uk.youtube.com/user/adnauseam81
Neon Black
Homepage:
http://dreaming-neon-black.blogspot.com
Comments
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mtobrien100@hotmail.com
13.01.2009 10:06
Our publicity had traveled far and wide. People described having picked up leaflets in school staff rooms, fire stations, post offices, shops, village halls, community centres, train stations, churches and of course at the consultation meetings and the protests outside them. Some also reported having learnt about the march from the various Facebook groups and other internet sources.
The BBC report refers to 'hundreds' marching. The figure was nearer a thousand. The final rally was obviously smaller at perhaps two hundred. There were two points at which the march hemorrhaged somewhat. The first was at the Seacombe terminal where many Wallasey folk decided, on bitterly cold day that they didn't wish to walk all the way to Hamilton Square in the neighbouring town of Birkenhead. From what I saw this was particularly true of elderly people and families with small children. The second was at the approach to Hamilton Square itself where most people headed straight for the station. Only those on the march will fully appreciate the 'minus-something' weather conditions as having been a factor here. Those who stuck it out to the end of the rally were hardy indeed.
The march was at its most numerous on the approach to Seacombe ferry and, at this point, was certainly in the upper hundreds. The Youtube footage of the march leaving Wallasey town hall gives a sense of this. The photos convey a sense of the colour and vibrancy of the march and (despite the weather) the bouyant determination of the marchers.
We all deserve a pat on the back. Well done everyone!
Mark
Mark O'Brien
e-mail:
mtobrien100@hotmail.com