The Manchester Spring- peaceful redemption

As any Mancunian would know, our city has a long history and tradition of political protest from the massacre of Peterloo, to being the home of suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst. So yesterday once again the streets of Manchester saw people rise up and protest against their leaders who were gathered at the Tory Party conference.

However, unlike Peterloo, unlike the student protests of London, unlike the protests in Syria, this was a peaceful march. No arrests made, no violence from either protester or the authorities. 35,000 rose up in peaceful protest against this government’s repressive programme of cuts which as a result has seen Manchester affected a great deal.

I’m immensely proud of everyone of those yesterday, had I not been sadly working my weekend job, I would have joined you. This ‘Manchester Spring’ shows us all that we can peacefully send a message, its coverage in papers such as the Mirror put pay to the myth that only violent action can raise a profile in the media.

Compared to the awful images of looting in our city, we can be proud that these images show the true Manchester, a people willing to peacefully exorcise their democratic right to protest. I’m sure before the next election there will be much cause to march, let this march be a shining example of the best way to protest. Let us all be immensely proud of my city!

PHM petition- the fight continues!

The other day, I did a blog in condemnation at the news that the People’s History Museum is one of the museums to have its funding cut from the government- http://anthillel.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/we-shall-remember-and-we-shall-resist/

Yesterday at the AGM, the MEN did a group shot of us, with Kate Green MP, showing our disapproval at the funding cut. Then afterwards, we signed an open letter to save the museum. Today, Martin Empson has created an online petition to continue the fight agaisnt these butchery of our history.

Here is the link to the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/MancPHM/petition.html  ,and I emplore you all, if you care about our heritage of being free and a museum that charts our road to becoming democratic, I urge you all to sign it! I urge you all, my brothers and sisters to show this government that this knowldege, this story is more important than money!

We must stand,

Let no calvary charge scare us,

Let no-one let us forget our story,

Those who died for the great glory,

Freedom, fairness, and justice on that field.

They try to silence us once again,

Yet in their name we remember, resist,

Let our signatures be our weapons,

In the name of democracy, in the name of those trampled in the field,

WE RESIST!

We will resist!

 

We shall remember and we shall resist!

 Yesterday came the shocking news that The People’s History Museum in Manchester, “the national centre for the collection, conservation, interpretation and study of material relating to the history of working people in Britain and their campaign for democracy over the past 200 years” is to have its funding withdrawn from the government.  The director of the museum, Katy Archer  said in a statement that “The People’s History Museum is currently funded directly by DCMS and is in conversation with the department about the impact of the government’s decision to relinquish control and sponsorship of what they refer to as ‘non-national museums’.

As this is the only museum in the country which documents the struggle for British democracy, I am quite surprised it has not attained national status and I am appauled that a museum that tells such an important and vital story in our history is seemingly being cut adrift! This is an outrage and one wonders whether this is politically motivated!

Here is my poem in tribute to the Museum and we shall fight as much as possible to stop this “censoring” of our history!

We stand once again,

Our Peterloo,

They try to silence us once again,

No horses this time, no sabres to hack us down,

They hold the purse strings like a noose,

They try to rob our heritage, our glory

Our story, yet we will remember,

In the spirit of 1819, the spirit of Peterloo we will remember,

We shall resist!

 

Peterloo Massacre- a vital part of history that should never be forgotten!

Bring life to this wall!

Apologies for the delayed posting of this, but with all the conference drama, it sort of got lost.

My good friend and comrade in Manchester, Kevin Peel (hopefully CC one day!)  has initiated a campaign to create a Living Wall in Manchester. In Piccadily Gardens there lies a concrete curved wall that forms the back of two shops. However, my opinion and that of many people regards the wall as a monstrosity and the nickname “The Berlin Wall” has been attached. Kev is campaigning for the concrete eyesore to be reborn as a living wall,  with plants growing up the side of it, akin to the Living wall in Madrid which involves plants being placed on the wall on in panels with an irrigation system being around them. I for one, wholeheartedly support Kevin in his endevour and I urge the council to “tear down this wall” of concrete and replace it with a living breathing wall.

Artist impression showing Kev's vision of the living wall

The Wall

There lies a wall in our heart,

A snake of concrete coiled,

Barren, cold,

But one man resists its oppression,

He is the one who leads the charge,

The charge to bring life to the lifeless,

To restore the power of nature,

Restore its majesty in the concrete jungle,

Make the garden worthy of the name,

Tear down this wall of concrete, this wall of death,

Create this new Eden here in our dwelling place,

In our heart!