Around 20 people went today to Manchester Town Hall to find out if people can stand in the streets of manc, talk to other people, give them bits of paper and smile without being pushed around by massive corporations that effectively own the street we stand on...
About 20 people went this morning to public question time in the lovely big gothic town hall. In the service of justice, truth and democracy the City Council have a public question time where members of the public can talk to other people who they have voted for (or more usually not).
This morning, there was a motion put forward to the City Council about the right to protest in Manchester. I won’t go into too much detail, cause its been done before and is on Indymedia. But briefly, the M & S picket has been totally done over for having the audacity to consistently stand outside M & S with a pastetable, a few placards hanging over the railings there and some leaflets. Scary bad stuff for M & S who clearly are concerned with the fact that they are not quite making enough money. M & S then push the City Council into proscecuting the picket (they said this in court – not me).
So there we go, stage set, back at Manchester Town Hall. There was a motion to be put to the Council about the way people protesting in Manchester are treated and some possible solutions.
But the motion could not even be put. People knew that it was unlikely that specific questions could be asked regarding the picket (because its going to appeal at the moment), but our understanding was that the issue is also about the right to protest in Manchester, so we can talk about that. (The way people in Manc got totally harassed and bullied on the street, forced to move on, to shut up…were threatened with arrest from the police and pushed around by street wardens… up to recently – its because of this going on, they’ve backed off now, if they win they will be back) but no. We can’t talk about anything.
Questions were not allowed from the public. There had to be a vote for the public to be allowed to stay (and, ooh, guess what, we lost). People were not even allowed to know what the motion was. And in the end, the council refused to discuss the motion.
So then people asked the questions anyway. Loudly. Much uproar.
The question is what happens next…..
This morning, there was a motion put forward to the City Council about the right to protest in Manchester. I won’t go into too much detail, cause its been done before and is on Indymedia. But briefly, the M & S picket has been totally done over for having the audacity to consistently stand outside M & S with a pastetable, a few placards hanging over the railings there and some leaflets. Scary bad stuff for M & S who clearly are concerned with the fact that they are not quite making enough money. M & S then push the City Council into proscecuting the picket (they said this in court – not me).
So there we go, stage set, back at Manchester Town Hall. There was a motion to be put to the Council about the way people protesting in Manchester are treated and some possible solutions.
But the motion could not even be put. People knew that it was unlikely that specific questions could be asked regarding the picket (because its going to appeal at the moment), but our understanding was that the issue is also about the right to protest in Manchester, so we can talk about that. (The way people in Manc got totally harassed and bullied on the street, forced to move on, to shut up…were threatened with arrest from the police and pushed around by street wardens… up to recently – its because of this going on, they’ve backed off now, if they win they will be back) but no. We can’t talk about anything.
Questions were not allowed from the public. There had to be a vote for the public to be allowed to stay (and, ooh, guess what, we lost). People were not even allowed to know what the motion was. And in the end, the council refused to discuss the motion.
So then people asked the questions anyway. Loudly. Much uproar.
The question is what happens next…..
Comments
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Defend the Right to Protest!
31.03.2004 21:19
The debate in the Council on the right to protest has now been ajourned until after the appeal lodged by the M&S Picketers has been heard. If we win then the debate will be immaterial as we will have effectively won the right to have a campaign stall on the City's streets. If we lose then we will be appealing to the High Court. In the end the right to protest will only be won on the streets and all those who support that right need to be supporting the Campaign to defend the M&S Picket.
Bob
e-mail:
fightpov@freenetname.co.uk
lovely labour
01.04.2004 14:10
Let us not forget that the bastion of Manchester socialism, Neil Swanick did vote to have the meeting held in private, as the labour party were instructed by city solicitors.
Manchester were affraid that any thing said in public could potenttially jeopordise any further legal action between the council and the Revolutionary Communist Group (FRFI).
So much for the cities left wing roots in the International Marxist Group, hey Mr. Hacket! Claire Nangel and co.
annon