Police intimidation of Liberal Democrat conference protest
wsws.org | 15.03.2011 11:59 | Policing | Public sector cuts | Workers' Movements | Sheffield
A massive security operation costing over £2 million was mounted on Saturday, directed against a protest outside the Liberal Democrat’s spring conference at Sheffield’s City Hall in South Yorkshire, England.
A section of the demonstration outside Sheffield City Hall
Over 1,000 police were deployed in the city over the three days of the event, with officers being drafted in from several neighbouring forces. A ring of steel—an 8ft high fence—constructed around the venue was supplemented by a shorter outer fence to pen in the demonstrators. Special mobile reinforced barriers were also on hand, should the order have be given to “kettle” those present, the police tactic that has been used elsewhere to physically contain protestors for hours. In nearby streets, there were long lines of police vans, with officers in full riot gear, as well as specialist dog handlers and mounted police units.
This was not policing, but an exercise in intimidation—part of an ongoing effort to criminalise dissent since the student protests against tuition fees last year. No protester could get anywhere near the Liberal Democrat conference venue and a strict limit of 100 was put on protests outside party leader Nick Clegg’s hotel. Walking through Sheffield meant passing clumps of police officers every hundred yards or so.
The media constantly ramped up predictions of the size of the anticipated demonstration—from 10,000 to 20,000 and in one report 40,000, in an attempt to justify the vast sums spent and the scale of the disruption caused by the police operation. In the end, there was one police officer present for every three protestors.
Those participating included NHS workers, civil servants, university and college staff, postal workers, teachers and library staff. Students and young people came along to support the protest march and rally. Protestors expressed anger with the impact of the hike in tuition fees, as well as the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) that will particularly hit working class students, and with the cuts being imposed by the local council, which is controlled by the Liberal Democrats. Just days before, Sheffield City Council had passed a budget slashing spending by £200 million over four years, which will lead to cuts in much needed social provisions and job losses.
However, the protest was also an exercise in political deception and manipulation of such sentiment by the organisers—the Sheffield Anti Cuts Alliance and the Socialist Workers Party (SWP)-controlled Right to Work campaign.
By directing the protesters to “Rage against the LibDems”, the SWP, Socialist Party and company were in fact corralling workers and youth behind a political initiative of the trade union bureaucracy in alliance with the Labour Party. The aim was to put pressure on rank-and-file Liberal Democrat supporters to transfer allegiance to Labour, or even prepare for a future Labour-Lib Dem coalition. In the aftermath of the Liberal Democrats signing the coalition pact with the Conservatives, the desertion of some members to Labour was hailed by these fake left groups as a major breakthrough and a sign that Labour was once again on the ascendency.
The main speaker at the rally was Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, Britain’s largest union. He directed his appeal to those attending the conference, saying it was time for Liberal Democrats to break with the coalition and “come over to the side of the British people”.
“I have come to Sheffield to appeal—not to [Liberal Democrat leader] Nick Clegg—but to Lib Dem councillors, activists and, yes, Lib Dem MPs, to put the people first, put their consciences first and come over to the opposition where they will find a warm welcome.”
Inside the conference, Labour MP and shadow cabinet member John Healy spoke to the delegates directly. An open letter he issued afterwards stated, “I attended your Party’s debate in Sheffield today on the government’s NHS reorganisation. It would have surprised some to see me at a Lib Dem Conference but I was made to feel welcome.”
Healy went on to praise the conference delegates for opposing government policy on the National Health Service, which would open up the health service to massive privatisation.
This week Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said that although he did not see how Nick Clegg “could work with Labour now”, this was “not true of Liberal Democrats more widely”.
Not a single speaker at the rally, which included several SWP members, raised a word of criticism of the Labour Party, its bailout of the banks and the pro-business policies that put the coalition in office in the first place. The Liberal Democrats only control Sheffield because Labour was so right wing that they could posture as a left alternative. The “betrayal” of their vaguely left promises only mirrors that carried out over decades by Labour and the trade unions.
Socialist Equality Party members and supporters in Sheffield distributed thousands of leaflets, calling for the building of rank-and-file committees to lead the struggle against austerity. As the leaflet states, “No confidence can be placed in the Labour Party and the trade unions to fight these attacks, as the Socialist Workers Party and Socialist Party claim. Not a single Labour-controlled authority is prepared to oppose the cuts. Labour’s empty protestations about protecting the ‘poor’ and ‘vulnerable’ are a sham. During 13 years in office, Labour encouraged a feeding frenzy for the financial oligarchy and the major corporations, while working people were forced to take on massive debt to offset a decline in real wages.”
To oppose the cuts means to fight for socialist policies, replacing the current system which rewards the wealthy and punishes the poor with one based on social equality.
This was not policing, but an exercise in intimidation—part of an ongoing effort to criminalise dissent since the student protests against tuition fees last year. No protester could get anywhere near the Liberal Democrat conference venue and a strict limit of 100 was put on protests outside party leader Nick Clegg’s hotel. Walking through Sheffield meant passing clumps of police officers every hundred yards or so.
The media constantly ramped up predictions of the size of the anticipated demonstration—from 10,000 to 20,000 and in one report 40,000, in an attempt to justify the vast sums spent and the scale of the disruption caused by the police operation. In the end, there was one police officer present for every three protestors.
Those participating included NHS workers, civil servants, university and college staff, postal workers, teachers and library staff. Students and young people came along to support the protest march and rally. Protestors expressed anger with the impact of the hike in tuition fees, as well as the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) that will particularly hit working class students, and with the cuts being imposed by the local council, which is controlled by the Liberal Democrats. Just days before, Sheffield City Council had passed a budget slashing spending by £200 million over four years, which will lead to cuts in much needed social provisions and job losses.
However, the protest was also an exercise in political deception and manipulation of such sentiment by the organisers—the Sheffield Anti Cuts Alliance and the Socialist Workers Party (SWP)-controlled Right to Work campaign.
By directing the protesters to “Rage against the LibDems”, the SWP, Socialist Party and company were in fact corralling workers and youth behind a political initiative of the trade union bureaucracy in alliance with the Labour Party. The aim was to put pressure on rank-and-file Liberal Democrat supporters to transfer allegiance to Labour, or even prepare for a future Labour-Lib Dem coalition. In the aftermath of the Liberal Democrats signing the coalition pact with the Conservatives, the desertion of some members to Labour was hailed by these fake left groups as a major breakthrough and a sign that Labour was once again on the ascendency.
The main speaker at the rally was Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, Britain’s largest union. He directed his appeal to those attending the conference, saying it was time for Liberal Democrats to break with the coalition and “come over to the side of the British people”.
“I have come to Sheffield to appeal—not to [Liberal Democrat leader] Nick Clegg—but to Lib Dem councillors, activists and, yes, Lib Dem MPs, to put the people first, put their consciences first and come over to the opposition where they will find a warm welcome.”
Inside the conference, Labour MP and shadow cabinet member John Healy spoke to the delegates directly. An open letter he issued afterwards stated, “I attended your Party’s debate in Sheffield today on the government’s NHS reorganisation. It would have surprised some to see me at a Lib Dem Conference but I was made to feel welcome.”
Healy went on to praise the conference delegates for opposing government policy on the National Health Service, which would open up the health service to massive privatisation.
This week Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said that although he did not see how Nick Clegg “could work with Labour now”, this was “not true of Liberal Democrats more widely”.
Not a single speaker at the rally, which included several SWP members, raised a word of criticism of the Labour Party, its bailout of the banks and the pro-business policies that put the coalition in office in the first place. The Liberal Democrats only control Sheffield because Labour was so right wing that they could posture as a left alternative. The “betrayal” of their vaguely left promises only mirrors that carried out over decades by Labour and the trade unions.
Socialist Equality Party members and supporters in Sheffield distributed thousands of leaflets, calling for the building of rank-and-file committees to lead the struggle against austerity. As the leaflet states, “No confidence can be placed in the Labour Party and the trade unions to fight these attacks, as the Socialist Workers Party and Socialist Party claim. Not a single Labour-controlled authority is prepared to oppose the cuts. Labour’s empty protestations about protecting the ‘poor’ and ‘vulnerable’ are a sham. During 13 years in office, Labour encouraged a feeding frenzy for the financial oligarchy and the major corporations, while working people were forced to take on massive debt to offset a decline in real wages.”
To oppose the cuts means to fight for socialist policies, replacing the current system which rewards the wealthy and punishes the poor with one based on social equality.
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“This is just part of a bigger struggle that is happening on a global scale”
15.03.2011 12:02
Tim Beale is a student from Sheffield Hallam University. He said, “I’m really disgusted about the cut to the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). If it wasn’t for that I would not have been able to go to university. As I was entitled to the full amount I was able to save this to pay for my first year at university as I don’t get parental support. I think it’s disgraceful that as soon as the Lib Dems got into power they sold out on everything, especially the tuition fees issue. They specifically said they would do everything to stop them being imposed.
“The wall they have built up around the city hall is not based on previous demonstrations. The police presence goes all the way down to the university [about half a mile away]. Based on one event in London they have decided to spend £2.5 million. The extent to which they have cordoned off the city, the money could have been spent elsewhere. I’m disappointed that the National Union of Students has done very little about this; they are not doing enough for students. In Wisconsin in America they have banned trade unions and are crushing them like Thatcher did.”
Caroline Nightingale graduated from university in Sheffield last year. “Before the election people were excited about the fact that Nick Clegg could get in and make a difference”, she said.
“Labour had gone so far to the right that the Lib Dems seemed like the only left party. I think it’s a disgrace that they have gone back on everything and now do what [Prime Minister] David Cameron says. He’s screwed students and all the public sector workers and thousands like me who are disgusted with them.
“I graduated last year and am the only person I know who has got a job amongst those who left at the same time as me. I wanted to stay in Sheffield but there were no jobs so had to go elsewhere”.
Wafa said, “The Lib Dems have gone back on everything they said, like Trident and tuition fees. They jump from one contradiction to the next. They say they are for the people, but just look at the massive barricade they have put up. The politicians are meant to be for the people by the people. This has cost £2.5 million and they’re making the cuts. This displays an attitude and it smacks of elitism. If the Eton boys were here they would be welcome, where as for us working class youth there’s a barricade!”
Kasia a student said, “I am not happy with the rise in fees; it’s going to affect all students. It will be financial trouble for me personally. I don’t want to have to end up with loans and financial obligations when I finish studying. It’s a commitment for years. We can only just manage the current fees, as it’s only my husband working, but when it triples we have no chance. I’m from Poland and looking at the movements in Egypt and Libya it’s like going back to 1989, when a whole region went against their governments”.
Victoria Cleary said, “I work in Stoke on Trent, but my boyfriend is still a student here in Sheffield, and many of my friends here are out of work. I feel passionately that people need to stand up against what is happening. The protests in Egypt have worked to some extent, and I think that is also the way we need to go.
“I don’t think the poor should be punished like they are now. It is the wealthy that should be taxed. Millionaires like Nick Clegg don’t see what is really happening to ordinary people. They’re not suffering; it’s us who are suffering. Many of my friends don’t have jobs. When they finish university, they will have to pay back massive debts because of the increase in fees”.
Amy said, “I work for a theatre company, which is also a charity. I thought it was important to come down today and show solidarity. We face enormous cuts in Sheffield. It’s going to affect all of us hugely. My employer previously got support from local government towards our funding. We provide community arts programmes, and it may not be possible for us to do that in the future. I think the movements that are developing in North Africa are really positive. It is a time for change.”
Steve said, “In a way, the Tories have done us a favour, because what they are doing is creating more rallying points and dissent. For example there is solidarity now between students and public sector workers. If the government carries on like it is, it will force people to confront the need for change and for other political alternatives.
“Perhaps there was a generation that was a bit apolitical, but now all that is changing and people are starting to be political once more. This is just part of a bigger struggle that is happening on a global scale.”
Faye is a support worker for Shelter, the homeless charity. She said, “The cuts to services in the statutory and voluntary sector will impact on the most vulnerable. Whilst mine and my colleagues’ jobs are at risk, we’ve got the education and skills to make sure we are ok.
“The people I work with need public services to keep themselves afloat. The cuts will impact on the most vulnerable and this is something that is hidden from view. The Housing Support Project which will be decommissioned in July is to prevent further homelessness. Those people without that support are at a much higher risk of being street homeless and face increased poverty. Those kinds of examples rarely get into the mainstream media. I find it upsetting that it’s going to affect the most vulnerable, disabled, young carers, etc.”.
Becky Harris said, “I used to work with vulnerable women in London and have been unemployed for the last eighteen months. Things have been moving in this direction for a long time. Capitalism and consumerism are having a terrible effect on our society throughout the world. I feel strongly about the way in which people who are sick and can’t work are being thrust into crippling poverty.
“Big corporations and the banks have so much of a vested interest in keeping people down. Rights and traditions to protest have been eroded to protect them. I don’t think you can have true democracy when the corporations have so much sway over society and make people into villains and scapegoat them to turn attention away from the fat cats.
“We won’t get a proper welfare state back again without a struggle.”
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Oops, I did it again.
15.03.2011 13:05
Bit embarrassing though!
Clement Blair.
Spare change for a cuppa guvnor?
15.03.2011 13:32
Yeah that's really nice and peachy but Labour were just in Government, and none of that happened!
Or did I miss something?
I was poor before Labour came to power and when they left, I was even poorer! But Labour politicians were all rich and so were their party workers, entourage and hangers on. And also my best friend, Abdullah Husseiny, was dead! He was a muslim that didn't like Israel.
Something must have gone wrong!
Malcolm the Tramp
attack on disabled woman
17.03.2011 23:30
there may well have been many people there making their views known, as they have every right to do, but her injury was the work of thugs set on being disruptive and violent. I am shocked and sickened.
Suzanne
e-mail:
suzanne.fletcher@stockton.gov.uk