As yesterday marked the official 200th Anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre, today also brought out the crowds for the Peterloo Memorial March and rally. People marched from all over Greater Manchester, following the original routes taken by around 60,000 people two hundred years ago.
The lively Eccles and Salford contingent, many in period costume and wearing 'liberty caps', met up at Pendleton Church, before heading off to Manchester Central to join others who had marched from Middleton, Wythenshawe, Mossley and lots of other areas.
Once outside Manchester Central, the original site of St Peter's Field on which 18 democracy campaigners were killed and around seven hundred injured by charging cavalry, there was the whole Massacre story told over loud speakers, a colourful band, complete with Boris Johnson and a gruesome cavalry figure, and a spoken word play by a group from Sheffield.
People were also invited to speak at a hustings imploring people to back six new acts they would like to see enacted to reboot democracy, taking a swipe at the Six Acts brought in by the government in the wake of Peterloo to try to repress and stop radical activity.
There is an online poll in which people can vote for their favourite act – click here for details
* Tomorrow sees the trade union March For Democracy culminating at a rally in Albert Square from 1pm – for details of meeting points see previous Salford Star article – click here
See also previous Salford Star articles on the Peterloo Commemoration...
Hundreds of People Commemorate Peterloo Despite The Rain - click here
Hidden Peterloo Projected Onto Bridgewater Hall - click here