Monday 5 October 2015

Marching in Fun at Tory Conference

SOME 60,000 people assembled yesterday, according to police reports, to demonstrate against austerity and the Tory Party Conference in Manchester.  The People's Assembly e-mail announced:
'The day has arrived and we will gather in our tens of thousands numbers to show the Tories how we feel about their austerity policies on the day they open their conference in Manchester.'


Tribes of trade unionists, left groups, Greens, and other assorted protesters traipsed down Oxford Road towards the Saint Peters Square, while across town on Market Street shoppers got on with their consumerism.  It was another seemingly endless case of gloriously marching together by the British left.  A supreme exercise in political  impotence with Left Unity, the Socialist Equality Party, the Green Party, Bristol Health Service workers, the Haldane Society, Derby Unite Community Union, Withington Labour Party, Whalley Range Unite branch and Unison all strolling along.


The journalist, Michael Crick, claimed he'd been spit upon by an anarchist as he entered the conference, and someone on Twitter claimed that yesterday there were police snipers on the roof of the Great Northern Complex.  Manchester police say they were only there for observation.


Meanwhile, the fun looks set to continue with the People's Assembly announcing:
'The Tories have gate crashed Manchester and they are simply not welcome. Yesterday, the week of action began with parties, gigs, public meetings and flash mobs.'



No comments: