Star date: 14th August 2016

SALFORD PETERLOO VICTIMS REMEMBERED

Today, marchers from Salford and Eccles joined dozens of others from around Greater Manchester re-creating the routes of the original campaigners who met at St Peter's Field in 1819, only to be attacked by the cavalry, leaving 15 people dead, in what later became known as the Peterloo Massacre.

Outside Manchester Central Convention Complex, Maxine Peake read out the names of those who died, and later people added their own memorials to a giant canvas inside Friends Meeting House.

Full details here...

This morning, groups from Eccles and Salford met with marchers from Bolton outside Pendleton Church, before walking into Manchester, re-creating the route of the original human rights campaigners who converged on St Peter's Field in 1819.

In that year, the protesters were attacked by the cavalry, leaving 15 people dead and dozens injured in what became known around the world as the Peterloo Massacre...

"I'm doing it because all the people who went to Peterloo deserve to be remembered and they deserve for us to commemorate what they did" said Greg who had walked from Eccles and has been involved with the memorial campaign for seven years.

"I think there has to be a lot of respect shown to them, not just from ourselves but from Manchester Council which has said it will put a memorial up" he added "I think it's crucially important to remember it, not just for those who made a stand for freedom then and the legacy of it all...It's about human rights and poverty, and making sure there's enough for everyone with all the resources in the world."

Three Salford people died at Peterloo - Sara Jones of Silk Street, who was severely beaten on the head by a special constable and died from her injuries, leaving seven children; Martha Partington from Eccles, who suffocated to death after being crushed by people falling down cellar steps in an effort to flee from St Peter's Field; and James Crompton of Barton, trampled to death by the cavalry. Greg believes that there should also be plaques in Salford and Eccles to remember them.

From Pendleton Church, the Peterloo Memorial campaigners walked to the Crescent train station where they met up with more comrades, before heading to Manchester Central Convention Complex (G-Mex), to join dozens of others who had marched from across the region.

In the square, Maxine Peake read out the names of those who died at Peterloo, and added... "It's about the importance of protest, the importance of people having a voice. The importance of democracy and liberty, it is something that should never be forgotten..."

Afterwards, people made their way to Friends Meeting House where they were invited to contribute their own memorials to a giant canvas, specially woven at Quarry Bank Mill. Amongst those who sewed memorials were the ceremonial Mayor of Manchester, political commentator Paul Mason and actor John Henshaw.

Memorials from Salford included a print of the Rallying Calls for The Great Kersal Moor Chartist Meeting 1838... "The time has come when the body of the suffering millions of this great Empire must prepare themselves for a grand display of moral power and physical energy" and must "nobly resolve to live freemen rather than slaves..."

Main photo by John Catterall