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| Conservative party conference hit by protest for third day | Conservative party conference hit by protest for third day |
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| Around 200 people have gathered outside the Conservative party conference in Manchester for a third day of protests against austerity. | Around 200 people have gathered outside the Conservative party conference in Manchester for a third day of protests against austerity. |
| The protest was part of a week of action organised by the campaign group People’s Assembly Against Austerity, designed to coincide with the annual meeting of Conservative party members. | The protest was part of a week of action organised by the campaign group People’s Assembly Against Austerity, designed to coincide with the annual meeting of Conservative party members. |
| Tuesday’s protest, called Hands Off Our NHS, brought together campaign groups from across the country before the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, spoke to the conference on Tuesday afternoon. | Tuesday’s protest, called Hands Off Our NHS, brought together campaign groups from across the country before the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, spoke to the conference on Tuesday afternoon. |
| Speaking through a megaphone, Steve Sweeney, a member of the People’s Convention for the NHS, who had traveled from Cambridge for the week, told the crowd, some of who were wearing pig masks, that the Tories “don’t care about our NHS, despite what they say. In 1945 they voted against the establishment of the NHS at its third reading and ever since they’ve had to defend their position, but they’ve consistently slashed NHS budgets.” | Speaking through a megaphone, Steve Sweeney, a member of the People’s Convention for the NHS, who had traveled from Cambridge for the week, told the crowd, some of who were wearing pig masks, that the Tories “don’t care about our NHS, despite what they say. In 1945 they voted against the establishment of the NHS at its third reading and ever since they’ve had to defend their position, but they’ve consistently slashed NHS budgets.” |
| Protesters have surrounded the entrance to the Conservative party conference #CPC15 pic.twitter.com/2FxGwrH4lx | Protesters have surrounded the entrance to the Conservative party conference #CPC15 pic.twitter.com/2FxGwrH4lx |
| Karen Reissmann, a health worker from Bolton and a member of the Save Bolton Health Services campaign, said she thought the crowds were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to dissatisfaction with Tory health policy. | Karen Reissmann, a health worker from Bolton and a member of the Save Bolton Health Services campaign, said she thought the crowds were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to dissatisfaction with Tory health policy. |
| “People know that if we don’t do anything we won’t have a health service in five to 10 years’ time,” she said. “It’s being starved of funds and privatised and marketised more and more … [the Conservatives] don’t stand up for ordinary people. They stand up for their rich friends. I think the 99% don’t want that any more.” | “People know that if we don’t do anything we won’t have a health service in five to 10 years’ time,” she said. “It’s being starved of funds and privatised and marketised more and more … [the Conservatives] don’t stand up for ordinary people. They stand up for their rich friends. I think the 99% don’t want that any more.” |
| Later on Tuesday, around 100 people gathered outside the conference to stage a protest calling for the UK to accept more refugees. “Throw the Tories in the sea, let in all the refugees,” they chanted. “Build a bonfire, build a bonfire, put the Tories on the top. Put the racists in the middle and we’ll burn the fucking lot.” | |
| The five days of protests began on Saturday with a flashmob at Manchester Piccadilly station designed to “welcome the Tories into town”. The programme of events has included a comedy gig, Laugh Them Out of Town, featuring Mark Steel and Jeremy Hardy, and a concert called Music Against Austerity, featuring Charlotte Church and the Super Furry Animals. | The five days of protests began on Saturday with a flashmob at Manchester Piccadilly station designed to “welcome the Tories into town”. The programme of events has included a comedy gig, Laugh Them Out of Town, featuring Mark Steel and Jeremy Hardy, and a concert called Music Against Austerity, featuring Charlotte Church and the Super Furry Animals. |
| The protests have been followed by complaints of abusive and intimidating behaviour. On Sunday, Tory activists were pelted with eggs and representatives of third-sector organisations, and journalists attending the conference have complained about being been spat at and being called “Tory scum”. | |
| People attending Conservative party conference battling crowds of protesters to leave the centre #CPC15 pic.twitter.com/0rLQnXXQgA | People attending Conservative party conference battling crowds of protesters to leave the centre #CPC15 pic.twitter.com/0rLQnXXQgA |
| “The worst the Tories are facing is people chanting ‘save our NHS’ … it’s nothing compared to the polices that their politics are inflicting on people,” said Sweeney when asked about the accusations of intimidating behaviour. “The cuts to the NHS, the cuts to adult social care, the cuts to benefits, all of those things, they’re causing people to die.” | “The worst the Tories are facing is people chanting ‘save our NHS’ … it’s nothing compared to the polices that their politics are inflicting on people,” said Sweeney when asked about the accusations of intimidating behaviour. “The cuts to the NHS, the cuts to adult social care, the cuts to benefits, all of those things, they’re causing people to die.” |
| Retired welfare adviser Maggie Zolobajluk has been protesting outside the Manchester Central and the Midland hotel, where the conference is being held, since Saturday, and said that she knew of more than 60 people who had made their way to Manchester to take part in the demonstrations. | Retired welfare adviser Maggie Zolobajluk has been protesting outside the Manchester Central and the Midland hotel, where the conference is being held, since Saturday, and said that she knew of more than 60 people who had made their way to Manchester to take part in the demonstrations. |
| The People’s Assembly had arranged for a sports centre in central Manchester to accommodate people who had travelled to the city for the week, but the venue pulled out at the last minute because of security fears. | The People’s Assembly had arranged for a sports centre in central Manchester to accommodate people who had travelled to the city for the week, but the venue pulled out at the last minute because of security fears. |
| “People have been sleeping in churches with no washing facilities, but we’ve had the people of Manchester open their houses to us, they’ve opened their food cupboards to us,” said Zolobajluk. “They’ve been amazing.” | “People have been sleeping in churches with no washing facilities, but we’ve had the people of Manchester open their houses to us, they’ve opened their food cupboards to us,” said Zolobajluk. “They’ve been amazing.” |
| “The atmosphere has been electric,” said Sweeney. “The city has been buzzing, absolutely buzzing. We’ve had hundreds of people marching through Manchester city centre on an Tuesday afternoon, because people care deeply about the National Health Service.” | “The atmosphere has been electric,” said Sweeney. “The city has been buzzing, absolutely buzzing. We’ve had hundreds of people marching through Manchester city centre on an Tuesday afternoon, because people care deeply about the National Health Service.” |