Star date: 4th October 2017

WALL OF NOISE PARTY PROTEST OUTSIDE CONFERENCE AS DISABLED BRING HOME REALITY TO THERESA MAY

Today, outside the Conservative Party Conference as Theresa May was getting her P45 from Lee Nelson and promising a "modern, compassionate Britain", the reality of her policies was laid bare in stark messages from disabled protesters, trade unionists, a very loud wall of noise and Manchester Party Protest sound system, and a street kitchen for the homeless...

Full details here...

Today, outside the Conservative Party Conference it was the turn of Disabled People Against The Cuts (DPAC) to make their feelings known, supported by a wall of noise and the Manchester Party Protest sound system...

As Theresa May was getting ready for her "modern, compassionate Britain" speech and receiving a P45 from comedian Lee Nelson, in St Peter's Square, disabled people parked their wheelchairs or sat down in front of the massed ranks of police with banners reading Stop The Human Rights Abuse and Tory Cuts Kill.

There were references all over the place to the recent United Nations declaration that the Tory Government's welfare policies amounted to a 'grave and systematic human rights abuse'; a 'human catastrophe for disabled people'...

Around 150 protesters chanted, banged pots and pans, and blew whistles, before the Manchester Party Protest sound system kicked in, giving some more home truths to Theresa and co over a constant dance beat...

"We want them to know the damage they have done on our streets; we want the Tories to walk down Market Street; we want them to go into Piccadilly Gardens and we want them to see the homeless and the problems, so we don't have to tell them about it...

"Theresa May, if you can hear me now, why are you punishing the most vulnerable people in this city and around the UK?...Why have you made homelessness triple since you've been in power? Why have you made people go onto Universal Credit? Why are you making single parents struggle and cry in front of their children...why do you want children to see their parents upset?...We say 'No' to austerity'...We want the Tories out..."

Despite huge amounts of police, the protest was good natured in its anger, although two people did get arrested; one for being over-zealous trying to get his point across to a Tory delegate, and one for seemingly straying into an area at the front of the Midland Hotel.

A pop-up kitchen was also mounted in St Peter's Square by Salford and Manchester Street Support, handing out free food and hot drinks to the homeless in another symbolic show of the reality of Tories' "modern, compassionate Britain"...

Meanwhile, one sticker being worn said it all, as far as these protesters were concerned... 'Tories! Walking around us like ordinary people!'

Main photo by Steven Speed