The e-petition has been sparked by outrage at the council allowing the far-right group Britain First to hold a national rally last Saturday (2 August) in St Peter’s Square, which is owned and managed by the council.
The petition, organised by anti-racist group Stand Up to Racism also demands that the council hosts a unity event in the city in partnership with Love Music Hate Racism involving local musicians, poets and artists to celebrate diversity.
If the petition gets more than 1,000 signatures the city council will have to debate the proposal at a scrutiny committee and if it gets more than 4,000 it will be discussed at a meeting of the full council.
The decision to allow the Britain First rally followed a legal move by Manchester City Council to use the courts to evict homeless people who were sleeping in tents in the square.
It is estimated that between 500 and 600 people from across the country attended the rally organised by Britain First, who set up a stage, a large video screen and portable toilets in front of Manchester Central Library and Manchester council buildings.
The city council defended giving the go-ahead for the event at the square, saying they had no legitimate reason to refuse it.
But Stand Up to Racism say the Council should not have allowed Britain First to use the land. They said: “We are appalled that Manchester City Council facilitated a large gathering of Britain First, allowing them to close off St Peter’s Square to the people of Manchester, and run a hate-filled rally using a large screen that stated the fascist demand of remigration. And this was in a city built on the labour and sweat of migrants.
“Paul Golding, the leader of Britain First, used the platform in St Peter’s Square to amplify his hatred of Muslims. This was a direct hate speech – broadcast to his followers from the heart of a city that is proud of its multiculturalism, and a city where Muslims form a central part of the fabric.
“Britain First would have had to book St Peter’s Square. The City Council should have refused. Instead, they should have installed a stage and invited speakers, musicians, artists, and poets from across the city to help celebrate the very thing that makes Manchester such a thriving cultural hub – its multiculturalism.”
Britain First leader Paul Golding is a former member of the British National Party and has served a prison sentence for hate crime. The party has organised protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, including Cresta Court in Altrincham, Greater Manchester.
About 400 counter-protesters from Stand Up To Racism gathered in Piccadilly Gardens and marched to St Peter’s Square where they chanted “refugees are welcome here”.
Manchester City Council defended their decision to allow Britain First to use the square. A spokesperson said: “The council worked closely with Greater Manchester Police and other agencies to manage this protest – and associated counter-protests – to minimise the potential for disruption, protect public safety and maintain order.
“Protests regularly take place in the city centre and this one was treated in the same way as any other, albeit that it was recognised that it was on a larger scale with potential for disorder.
“People have a legal right to gather together for peaceful protest and that has to be applied consistently, even where many people would find the protest distasteful.
“In this case, organisers of the event expressed their intention to gather in St Peter’s Square and the council did not have legitimate reasons to prevent this, given that there were no other significant events or activities taking place in that location.
“Event organisers provided infrastructure to facilitate their protest taking place including big screens and power supplies.”
The city council said they issued information about the demonstration via community networks prior to the event but did not specify which groups were consulted.
The message warned about the Britain First protest and the SUTR counter protest but did not specify that the BF rally would be at St Peter’s Square.
Britain First and other far-right groups have targeted hotels accommodating asylum seekers across the country. Another protest is planned at the Cresta Court hotel in Altrincham and Stand Up to Racism has mobilised for a counter protest at 5.30pm on Friday 8 August (tomorrow).
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Featured image: Christina McAlpine
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