Star date: 29th September 2019

THOUSANDS MARCH FOR A FAIRER SOCIETY

"I'm here as someone who wants to live in a fairer, more equal, more peaceful, more just society...we are never going to get these things under this shower..." Julie Hesmondhalgh

Tens of thousands of people marched this afternoon in protest against the Conservative Party which is holding its annual conference at Manchester Central. Meanwhile a later March For Europe also attracted thousands of people.

Full details here...

"The Conservatives over there in their Conference become more and more extreme because they are desperate..." Laura Pidcock

Tens of thousands of trade unionists, activists, community members and even clowns marched against the Conservative Government this afternoon, as the Tory Party began its annual conference at Manchester Central (GMex).

Julie Hesmondhalgh, addressing the People's Assembly rally afterwards but not as a celebrity or actress, explained; "I'm here as someone who wants to live in a fairer, more equal, more peaceful, more just society...

"I want better education, a well funded health service, better social care; I want our workers to be paid properly, that's all" she added "It's not too much to ask but we are never going to get these things under this shower."

She concluded by saying that, although these are "strange and terrible times", she felt full of hope because of young people taking to the streets to campaign on issues like climate change...

Laura Pidcock, Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights, echoed the sentiments, explaining that "It doesn't have to be like this...pay stagnation, grotesque inequality, privatisation, people working so hard but still in poverty, people not able to feed their children, our beautiful NHS and schools ripped apart by those privateers, the rise of racism...the planet is on fire because of the economic system that this government props up..."

She slated "greed and short term profit" in society and added that "The Conservatives over there in their conference become more and more extreme because they are desperate. They know that the system they are trying to justify and defend offers humanity only problems, and that it is us here who have the solutions..."

Two hours after the People's Assembly march, the Reject Brexit, Defend Democracy march took to Manchester's streets, also drawing thousands to protest.

Main photo by Steven Speed