Update on the Birmingham Route
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 8:07 pm
reposted from DAN
OUTRAGE AS POLICE CONFIRM PROTESTERS ARE BARRED FROM MARCHING PAST TORY
CONFERENCE
Despite a high profile campaign, West Midlands Police are still denying the
marchers access to the part of Broad Street in Birmingham city centre which goes
past the conference centre. Police will seal off the area round the conference
with fixed barriers.
Organisers made an arrangement with the police and Birmingham council to march
past the conference, but this has now been withdrawn.
Despite protests from a swathe of MPs, trade union leaders, the Birmingham
council Labour group, celebrities and hundreds of others the police would not
yield on allowing the demonstration to pass the conference centre.
In addition Birmingham council which has threatened to sack 26,000 of its
workers unless they accept pay cuts is also demanding thousands of pounds for
suspending parking on a handful of streets on Sunday—a day when parking is
free.
Chris Bambery, secretary of the Right to Work Campaign, pointed out that "Even
immediately after 9/11, and in the aftermath of the Iraq invasion, protesters
were allowed to march past the governing party's conference. Last year Right
to Work marched past the front entrance of the Labour conference in Brighton.
"'Now it seems that David Cameron will be meeting in something more
resembling central Baghdad's Green Zone. I would ask what has he got to be
scared of? This follows the restrictions on protest imposed at the Lib Dem
conference last weekend.
"'There is still time for the police to rethink their decision, and I urge
them to do so. But whatever happens we will march in our thousands on Sunday 3
October and we will ensure Tory delegates can hear us behind their security
barriers."
The demonstration is now backed by 6 national unions: CWU, PCS, NUJ, UCU, Aslef
and NUS, over 50 local trade union branches and regions, 20 trades council and a
number of different community campaigns. There is now transport going from over
40 places around the country, with many places taking several coaches.
There are 10 days left to fill more coaches, convince friends and colleagues to
be there on the day and make the 3rd October as big, broad and lively as
possible to send a clear message that we are not going to pay for the bankers'
crisis, that the Tories' attacks will not go unchallenged.
Please continue to send us reports, videos and photographs of local protests,
meetings and activities for the website.
Right to Work campaign
07986 085 162
OUTRAGE AS POLICE CONFIRM PROTESTERS ARE BARRED FROM MARCHING PAST TORY
CONFERENCE
Despite a high profile campaign, West Midlands Police are still denying the
marchers access to the part of Broad Street in Birmingham city centre which goes
past the conference centre. Police will seal off the area round the conference
with fixed barriers.
Organisers made an arrangement with the police and Birmingham council to march
past the conference, but this has now been withdrawn.
Despite protests from a swathe of MPs, trade union leaders, the Birmingham
council Labour group, celebrities and hundreds of others the police would not
yield on allowing the demonstration to pass the conference centre.
In addition Birmingham council which has threatened to sack 26,000 of its
workers unless they accept pay cuts is also demanding thousands of pounds for
suspending parking on a handful of streets on Sunday—a day when parking is
free.
Chris Bambery, secretary of the Right to Work Campaign, pointed out that "Even
immediately after 9/11, and in the aftermath of the Iraq invasion, protesters
were allowed to march past the governing party's conference. Last year Right
to Work marched past the front entrance of the Labour conference in Brighton.
"'Now it seems that David Cameron will be meeting in something more
resembling central Baghdad's Green Zone. I would ask what has he got to be
scared of? This follows the restrictions on protest imposed at the Lib Dem
conference last weekend.
"'There is still time for the police to rethink their decision, and I urge
them to do so. But whatever happens we will march in our thousands on Sunday 3
October and we will ensure Tory delegates can hear us behind their security
barriers."
The demonstration is now backed by 6 national unions: CWU, PCS, NUJ, UCU, Aslef
and NUS, over 50 local trade union branches and regions, 20 trades council and a
number of different community campaigns. There is now transport going from over
40 places around the country, with many places taking several coaches.
There are 10 days left to fill more coaches, convince friends and colleagues to
be there on the day and make the 3rd October as big, broad and lively as
possible to send a clear message that we are not going to pay for the bankers'
crisis, that the Tories' attacks will not go unchallenged.
Please continue to send us reports, videos and photographs of local protests,
meetings and activities for the website.
Right to Work campaign
07986 085 162