A coalition of Greater Manchester social movements have come together to form a Manchester branch of the We Demand Change movement.
The group in Manchester organised a people’s question time last month (Thursday 26 June), with a panel that included noted anti-apartheid campaigner Andrew Feinstein, as well as representatives from Stop the War Coalition and Stand Up to Racism.
According to the national movement: “We Demand Change is a space for different parts of the movement to come together — to debate, organise, and mobilise the collective actions we need.
“We work to amplify the campaigns and calls to action already happening across our communities and to make sure Labour’s betrayal doesn’t open the door for the far right.”
The new campaign has large followings in Bristol and Leeds already, and a spate of noteworthy activists throwing themselves behind the cause.
The umbrella network is calling on trade unionists, campaigners, and activists to connect with each other and mobilise as a larger body to address the problems facing society.
They see a connection between the climate crisis, racism, poverty, genocide and other issues, and are calling for solidarity in the face of the siloed nature of movements on the left.
John Mulligan, a clinical psychologist, organiser with Unite the Union, and member of the Manchester group, said: “If we get numbers showing up to all of these causes, these events, these protests, not only do we get to fight the fascists who come into the city and try to own the place with the Nazi salute, but we also get to tell the government that we’re not going to stand for this and we do demand change.”
The question time last week was the first official event of the Manchester branch, but it was clear that the people involved are passionate about change and have a wealth of experience and knowledge to help them.
Mulligan was also keen to stress that the group is in its very early stages, and what it will become in the next few years is entirely down to its members.
They plan to organise a summit in September and are aiming to get prominent figures from the left to come up North, including Jeremy Corbyn.
Mulligan added: “Of course people already have their politics, they have their groups, but that’s the beauty of it.
“We’re allowed to have our own beliefs, our own perspectives and our own passions, but hopefully we can collaborate around lots of different things.”
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