"The Council's stance smacks of Stalinism and a wilful restriction on the right to protest…"
Organisers have told the Salford Star this morning that a Family Fun and Protest Day to be held outside Salford Civic Centre this Saturday (17th May) will definitely go ahead – despite Salford Council issuing a statement last week saying that approval will not been given.
The event - titled `Say `No!' To Salford Council Cuts' – is to feature live music and dance starring Happy Monday's Bez, Hanky Park's James Davenport and up and coming Salford singers Michael Burns and Keelan McNally. It will also have stalls selling home made cakes, sweets and jewellery, plus a tombola, with proceeds to be split between Macmillan Cancer Charity and Salford City Boys Club.
The publicity leaflet, which so angered Salford Council, stated "We're having a Family Fun and Protest Rally on the lawn outside the Civic Centre…to show Salford Council that `Enough is enough'…and we're going to have fun while we're doing it!'.
The Rally and Fun Day is being supported and organised by those at the sharp end of Salford Council cuts to vulnerable people in the city – including mums of disabled adults who are having their transport cut, users of Care On Call which looks after sick and elderly people, and mental health service users. It is being billed as `a lovely peaceful afternoon'.
Salford Council, however, decided to ban the event, stating in an official press release…
"Salford City Council has ownership of the lawns and has NOT been approached by the event organiser/s. Approval to hold this event on the Civic Lawns has therefore not been given.
"It is important to note that permission to hold this event on city council owned property would NOT be agreed during the current period of purdah, leading up to the European and local elections, when there are strict laws over publicity and activity" it adds "The city council must comply with the code of recommended practice on local authority publicity and ensure it does not act in any way that would seem to support a political party or view."
Rallies and protests are always being held outside the Civic Centre and the Salford Star understands that permission has never been sought recently from Salford Council as the land is public property, owned by the people of Salford.
Meanwhile, Salford Mayor Ian Stewart actually attended an anti-cuts May Dally rally recently, during purdah, which was held on land part owned by Manchester City Council. A spokesperson for Manchester City Council told the Salford Star that the holding of the May Day event was `irrelevant' to purdah rules.
Official guidance on purdah for the local and European elections issued last month by the House of Commons states nothing about use of council land. Guidance is all about council publicity surrounding the elections…
"Local authorities should pay particular regard to the legislation governing publicity during the period of heightened sensitivity before elections and referendums" it states "It may be necessary to suspend the hosting of material produced by third parties, or to close public forums during this period to avoid breaching any legal restrictions….In general, local authorities should not issue any publicity which seeks to influence voters."
This morning, after a conversation with Salford City Council, Paul Gerrard Chair of Salford Against the Cuts told the Salford Star…
"We think the Council is being over sensitive on this issue, a meeting of 150 people mandated us to organise this rally on the 17th May. The Council's stance smacks of Stalinism and a wilful restriction on the right to protest.
"Much of the energy, drive and commitment in organising this event has come from Salford people who are on the sharp end of the cuts that the Council is making" he added "We told the Council that any money raised from the stalls will be for the charities Salford City Boys Club and Macmillan nurses and we've also given a cast iron guarantee that no candidate from any political party will speak at the event. That should be enough for them."
Noreen Bailey, whose severely disabled sons face cuts in their transport, added: "I'm sad that the Council doesn't want us to do this but it is going ahead; it has to go ahead. It's going to be a sunny day and we are going to gather there and give it the best we can.
"We've been baking fresh cakes and we've got a jewellery stall, sweet stall and tombola with all proceeds going to Macmillans and Salford City Boys Club" she added "It's our way of showing everyone that even though these cuts are here we will carry on and do good for other people."
Salford Against the Cuts is awaiting the Council's latest response...
* At the end of May, Salford City Council is running its own Spirit of Salford event on the lawn outside Salford Civic Centre
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