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Original poster

Anti-austerity march Manchester.

52 replies

Tootyfilou · 03/10/2015 13:35

Any one else attending? I know quite a few MNs marched in the London demo in June. I am goong with my local peoples Assembly.
Weather looks a bit dodgy. Never been to Manchester really looking forward to it.
Sits back to await comments about left wing nutters and the futiry of public protest Smile

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SilverOldie2 · 03/10/2015 15:28

Tootyfilou
Sits back to await comments about left wing nutters and the futility of public protest smile

Hate for you to be disappointed so public protest is futile (not calling you a nutter) Smile

TheGirlWithTheArabStrap · 03/10/2015 15:30

I'm going!

Original poster
Tootyfilou · 03/10/2015 16:50

Smile silver oldie thanks for not calling me a nutter... Much appriciated.
Yay another MN going!

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Original poster
Tootyfilou · 03/10/2015 20:20

Anyone else... What are you wearing girl?< shallow socialist with fantasies of demo chic>
I think many will be wearing a pig mask. I have resisted this, because as Jezza says its policies not personalities we need to attack.

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ihavenonameonhere · 04/10/2015 09:52

I'll be at the CPC. I'll wave! ;)

TheGirlWithTheArabStrap · 05/10/2015 01:01

It was brilliant! I was wearing my trade union branch t shirt that we had printed for today. We had a great day, the speakers and music was fantastic. Did you go for the pig mask in the end?

Isitmebut · 05/10/2015 08:24

It was great seeing all those original trade union flags again.

A shame Food Bank usage figures will go up again, with all those eggs and other produce thrown.

Original poster
Tootyfilou · 05/10/2015 08:37

Yes fantastic day... Fab weather, greaft turn out. Manchester looks a lovely city.

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claig · 05/10/2015 09:52

It looked like a very good turnout with lots of humour and good spirits with the pig masks and pig balloons.

Isitmebut · 05/10/2015 10:07

Yup and they (and train fares) don't come cheap, clearly benefits/welfare cuts are NOT cutting too deeply.

claig · 05/10/2015 10:08

'clearly benefits/welfare cuts are NOT cutting too deeply.'

What makes you think that anyone who opposes the Tories is unemployed? There was a huge trade union presence there.

clayspaniel · 05/10/2015 10:14

Did anyone think the festival atmosphere took away from the event? My 'feel good' factor certainly turned a bit sour after passing the cocktail sippers waving from the balcony along with ihavenonameonhere

Isitmebut · 05/10/2015 11:15

What makes you think that anyone who opposes the Tories is unemployed? There was a huge trade union presence there.

Thank you, so it was purely political by mainly the hard left, hardly representative of the 64 million in this UK.

claig · 05/10/2015 11:29

'Thank you, so it was purely political by mainly the hard left'

Of course it was political, that is what protests are. And trade union members like TheGirlWithTheArabStrap are not "hard left", they just disagree with Tory policies and want to demonstrate their opposition as they have every right to do in our democratic country. The protest is a healthy sign that our freedom to protest, complain and dissent are still alive and long may that last.

As SilverOldie2 rightly said, the OP is not "a nutter". Instead she is someone who actually gives a damn and is prepared to spend a weekend demonstrating that.

Isitmebut · 05/10/2015 11:43

"not the hardleft"

Listening to the Daily Politics just now, if these trade union protesters were all moderates, they should cage the hard left.

In Jurassic Park they have 'Spitters', just saying.

ExitPursuedByABear · 05/10/2015 11:53

Heard someone saying that Manchester didn't want Tories.

Whoops, I went shopping there on Friday.

AllThePrettySeahorses · 05/10/2015 11:59

People spitting is - acceptable, I suppose. Egg throwing - if you can't throw an egg at a politician, who can you throw it at?

Police snipers on rooftops overlooking the demonstration - effing horrendous.

ExitPursuedByABear · 05/10/2015 12:01

I doubt the snipers were there for the demonstration.

clayspaniel · 05/10/2015 12:02

isitmebut of course it was political and what's wrong with that? It wasn't representative of conservatives, media, big business etc but was representative of working class interests (anyone who has to work in order to earn a living), unemployed, migrants, refugees ... the list goes on. Hard left is being used as a ridiculous insult intended to undermine perfectly reasonable and sensible views.

Isitmebut · 05/10/2015 14:09

but was representative of working class interests (anyone who has to work in order to earn a living), unemployed, migrants, refugees

People at the Conference who have been to loads said that the spitting, egg throwing, threats, was the worse they can remember - just as the Labour leadership has gone back to the 1970s, when trade unions thought that they ran the country - I guess its a coincidence then.

As to all those self appointed representations, what percentage of workers are in trade unions, I'm sure the migrant/Syrians and the rest of the worlds refugees would have been far less feisty - and I can see why you wouldn't be representing the nearly 2 million UK queuing for social homes etc.

Original poster
Tootyfilou · 05/10/2015 14:11

To address a few points. Most of the people on the rally not have arrived by train... Totally agree, train prices are exorbitant. ( role on nationalization Smile) i am never really sure what the right wing mean when they use the term ' hard left' .
If by this you mean,protesting against the way this government is punishi g the most vulnerable in society, cutting our public services and attacking our democratic rights, then I am 'hard left'. Ad were thr thousands of men, women, families, students, and older people I saw on the rally yesterday.
We were marching to send the Tories the message thT austerity is failing the people of Britainand we want society that benefits the many not the few at the top.
People were also protesting against the anti trade union Bill that will make strike action almost imposdible to organise and effectively illegal in most industries.
Even if workers meet the daunting legal odds, and are given a mandate to strike, the bill makes it illegal to resist scab labour.
The chNce of winning industrial victory against corrupt employers wi be nigh on impossible.
Why does thos matter?
The last time the Tories introduced anti trade union legislation was when Thatcher was in power. At this time Britain was on of the most equal socities in Europe. A generation on, the gap between rich and poor in Britain is now the envy of mega wealthy elites world wide.
Countries that have maintained good trade union rights, like Scandinavian countries have remained more equal.
Without strong unions able to defend rights that have bern hard fought for by ordinary people for generations, life will get a lot harder... And poorer for many people in Britain.

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Original poster
Tootyfilou · 05/10/2015 14:13

Milliy of typos sorry, on iphone.

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Original poster
Tootyfilou · 05/10/2015 14:14

As above post illistrates beautifully Blush

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clayspaniel · 05/10/2015 16:36

People at the Conference who have been to loads said that the spitting, egg throwing, threats, was the worse they can remember this is because the conservatives have got so much worse!! They are doing things Thatcher wouldn't have even dreamed of!

I'm sure the migrant/Syrians and the rest of the worlds refugees would have been far less feisty Why would you be so sure of this? You are stereotyping these people, and what's wrong with being 'feisty'?

ExitPursuedByABear · 05/10/2015 16:58

As if no one does any stereotyping of Tories. Hmm