Star date: 11th July 2015

SALFORD LED HOMELESS MARCH TARGETS CITY CENTRE CORPORATIONS

"They get bailouts, we get bailiffs...'

March For The Homeless took over Manchester city centre roads this afternoon, stopping to shut banks and McDonald's en route to make points, as campaigners chanted `Homes Not Banks'... `Feed The Poor' and `They get bailouts we get bailiffs...'

"This is on behalf of homeless people and we're here for a good cause" explained Salford's Kyle Wells who led the march.

Full details here...

March For The Homeless took to the streets and roads of Manchester City Centre this afternoon, beginning at Piccadilly Gardens, before heading to McDonald's on Oxford Road and occupying it for a while as campaigners chanted `Feed The Poor'.

When police arrived, the March moved on to the Halifax Bank in Piccadilly where half the protesters entered the building, while the others made their point outside, displaying a banner reading `80% of rough sleepers are ex-military' and `90,000  children expected to be homeless this Christmas'...

"We've had enough of Manchester City Council. We've had enough of the Government. We've had enough of the banks and GMP [Greater Manchester Police] facilitating corporations" organiser Wesley Hall told a large crowd that had gathered to watch the political spectacle

"We've had enough of everything today" he added "We're raising awareness of the amount of homeless people there are in this city - too many people are dying; too many people are ignoring it and the police are criminalising it. We're taking direct action in the city centre to say that these silly games are finished."

Wesley asked those watching to tell any homeless people they passed that the Manchester Angels would be providing free food, clothes, tents and sleeping bags in Piccadilly later in the afternoon... "That's what we're about, helping each other" he said.

From the Halifax in Piccadilly, the March moved on to Market Street, where Barclays was the next target. With banners draped over the bank's doors, and campaigners chanting `They get bailouts, we get bailiffs' and `Homes Not Banks', Wesley told the crowd, "Homeless people are being left to suffer... Manchester Council is turning away people who are pregnant, families and vulnerable people who are then turning to alcohol and drugs, and people look down on them..."

As if on cue, when the March proceeded down Market Street, there was a homeless man collapsed on the floor, ironically outside the All Saints shop. Hundreds of shoppers had walked past the unconscious man – and ignored him.

"It's very right we do these marches for the homeless because there needs to be a voice for the voiceless" said Salford's Kyle Wells, who led the March in his electronic wheelchair "The Government is not going to help the homeless so it's up to us to stick together, and people power is like the most important thing really.

"The atmosphere is really positive on the March" he added "It's on behalf of homeless people and we're here for a good cause. The police aren't very happy about it but we're doing it for the right reasons, so I'm happy..."

Photos by Steven Speed