Lord Mayor Prepare to Launch Pride 18th Birthday Balloons.. public not invited
Bemused Councillors and Officials look on in dismay as youth ambush commences
Directors of Manchester Pride alongside Pride is a Protest Activists
We shall not, we shallnot be moved!
Crowds gather.... to see what the fuss is all about
Even more media people and passing public turn up
More Banners uncovered taking over the event
Even more attention gathers..
Activists Invade Town Hall... over half an hour before security appear
Peter Lukes Customer Service Manager politely asks us to leave
... accomined by city council heavies and grilled by protestors with questions
Protest Continued
Protest Continued
During the official media opportunity, protesters encircled the Lord Mayor and Pride Organises set to launch dozens of pink balloons, then released in full view of the media and surrounded by political signs and banners stating “Pride Not Profit”, “Smash the Pink Pound”, “Liberation not Equality” and messages in support of saving the Manchester Gay Centre which the council recently held secret meetings about to discuss its closure.
Opposition to the increasingly commercialised festival has been mounting in recent years after the introduction of a wristband scheme blocking entry to the gay village for 4 days to anyone who could not afford the ever increasing ticket price. Since the introduction of the ticket fee the funding for charities and good causes that Manchester Pride claims to be it's main objective has fluctuated if not decreased significantly. Many groups have now pulled out of the main event claiming new charges for stalls and parade entries that were previous free coupled with the lever increasing lack of accessibility have made it impossible for them to participate.
Manchester Pride is estimated to generate over £20 million for the city each year (figures from Marketing Manchester and the North West Tourist Board) despite the level of contributions and results filtering back to the community and small, unfunded voluntary groups decreasing year after year.
Tonight's demonstration is one of the only moments in history that a public protest has actually taken place inside
the Town Hall. The group which describes itself as a cross section of community activists and local young people from a number of groups including Trans Youth and the Queer Youth Network bypassed the Town Hall's formidable security to gain entry to the Lord Mayors champagne reception where they unfolded several banners and held signs in a silent protest to the bemusement of local business leaders, politicians and invited guests.
Despite several members of the group actually having official invitations to the event, it wasn't long before they were removed from he Town Hall building apparently at the request of the lord mayor herself surrounded by an entourage of intimidating security guards.
Local journalists were invited to accompany the protesters and a significant amount of photographic and video footage has been documented which will shortly be available at
http://www.get-bent-manchester.com/ ENDS
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