Extension of the Report on the Open Planning Meeting for the Tory Party Conference Protests in Manchester

Alan Manning, North TUC West Regional Secretary.
‘We made tremendous strides on the 26th March For The Alternative, the breadth of support was impressive. The TUC has a program of activity that follows the 26th. After May Day, now we are looking to the 30th June strikes as an important part of maintaining momentum in the struggle. The Tory and the Lib Dem conferences are important events. When the Tories come to Manchester we will provide a warm North West Welcome! We are lobbying within the TUC to make Manchester into a national event. The TUC has accepted in principal that the Manchester demonstration will be an important part of the national campaign. We need a united big event, along with a pattern of other activities. We must be a voice for the alternative.’

Paul Brandon, Secretary, Right To Work Campaign
‘We must acknowledge the scale of the assault, the biggest in modern times. We need an appropriate response. Right to Work were central to organising the 7,000 strong demonstration at the Tory Party Conference last year in Birmingham. For this year’s protest march we have met with the police in Manchester, and have an agreed to a march route that goes past the Tories conference, with rallies at the start and finish in Albert Square. We want to see the march in Manchester very much as a continuation from the ‘March for the Alternative’ on the 2th March. We need a ‘March for the Alternative 2′, and a ‘March For The Alternative 3′.”

Doug Oxer, RMT
‘It is good to see the TUC on board with the demo. October 2nd is very important, we will show them that we are not prepared to just sit back and listen, we have been waiting too long now.’

Karen Reissmann, Unison NEC member, North West, (pc)
‘The demonstration outside the Tory Party Conference will pull together people against the cuts. The Tories have been forced to backtrack over the NHS due to pressure. They can pretend as much as they like that they are strong but they are weak -  that is why they are a coalition. They are cracking.’

Dave Toomer, North West NEC Rep NUJ
‘I am delighted that the North West TUC is taking a lead on the demonstration. The NUJ supports the fights against the cuts. A consensus is emerging over what to do. We must have a demo, it has to be big, and it has to go straight past the Tory Party Conference.’

Stephen Hall, from Wigan
‘We need a single unified demonstration that everyone goes on.’

Alec McFadden, Salford Unemployed Center,
‘It is vital the unemployed are a full part of the march. Lets get the whole of our class onto this demonstration.’

Rick, Education Activists Network
‘We fully support the most militant protest, it must be a wide and inclusive.’

Marion, council worker Manchester
‘We have faced massive job losses at Manchester Council. I am delighted that the TUC will be supporting a protest. In Manchester we have had the biggest cuts to wards that have some of the greatest deprivation. My branch will be putting a motion to our conference in favour of a demonstration in Manchester when the Tories come.’

Matt, Man Met Students Against the Cuts
‘Everyone was inspired by the student demonstrations of last year. The Tories are trying to re shape educaton in to suit their interest.’ Students have already been talking about the what to do when the Tories come to town. We will be organising a feeder march from the University to join the big march.’

Mark Krantz, Convener GM STWC
‘When Tony Blair came to Manchester for his last Labour Party Conference 50,000 marched straight past the conference center And we held a peace camp organised by Military Families Against the War. The task for the Labour and Trades Union movement today will be to make the march on Cameron, Osbourne and Pickles even bigger.’

Andy Cunningham, Manchester Right to Work
‘I propose that a representative from the North West TUC and a representative from Right to Work should go jointly to the next meeting with the police and the council to agree the route of the march on the 2nd October.’

Collette Williams, BARAC
‘The cuts disproportionally impact on the black community. October is Black History Month. A Counter Conference on the 1st October would show that we do have an alternative to their world of cuts. A counter conference would be a fantastic opportunity for the TUC to show their support for the black community. Such an event would give two fingers to Cameron and his cuts and show we disagree with his attacks on multiculturalism.’

Stefan Cholewka, Greater Manchester TUC
‘The proposal for a counter conference is fantastic. The demonstration should be a carnival of the oppressed. We need to show that we are the creative class, the ones with imagination. We are determined. The big battalions of the TUC are important, but we also need to draw in people who have never been involved before.’

Amanda, Man Met Student Union Exec
‘Why let the Tory Conference go ahead? We should do everything we can to stop it happening. Disrupt, blockade, it is important to march but we need direct action too.’

Jamil, FE student
‘The Tories are here for four days. The cuts are for the rest of our lives. My mum has just lost both of her jobs. She has never before been unemployed. Eighteen out of twenty five in the cabinet are millionaires. No Tory has been elected in Manchester for decades. When they Tories come to Manchester we need a big demo, but we will need to do a lot more if we are to match the hatred people feel over what these Tories are doing.’

John Clegg, Unite member
‘I want to see bi billboards the say, ‘Tories Not Welcome in Manchester!’ all over the city.

Mani, Manchester UK Uncut
‘If ten people can shut a bank on Market Street, what could thousands do?’

Tom, UK uncut
“We want to work with the TUC, we want to find ways of protesting that are more than a march, but can be supported by the TUC.’

Paul Brandon
‘This debate represents an important development in the anti cuts movement. We will need the biggest possible march, but that alone will not be enough, there has to be an edge to the protests. We need a powerful unity of purpose involving strikes marches and protests. Shortly after the 2nd October demonstration there is a real possibility wider co ordinated strikes in October.’

Alan Manning
‘At a time of crisis there is always a danger of substituting individual actions for the building of a genuine mass movement we need. We must have an effective and a safe platform of protest if everyone is going to be involved. The way forwards is for this type of meeting to be replicated in the communities so we can get them involved. Individual national trades unions have their own autonomy and they will take individual decision themselves. All the points and proposals will be taken back to the TUC for further discussion.’

Martin Kelsey, Chair of the PCS North West Region
‘Geoff Brown from Manchester Trades Council will make sure that every proposals discussed tonight is written up and put to the TUC.’