As Manchester Council applies to commit homeless people to prison, activists are putting out a multicultural message to the Council and Manchester Metropolitan University management, summed up by Salford City UNISON's Ameen Hadi...
"Whether you are homeless in Manchester, Calais or Kos you have a right to be treated with dignity and respect" he says.
Last Friday, Manchester City Council informed the homeless camps that have been set up for the last few months (see here) that they "consider the camp on the Land to be a continuation of protests against MCC's homeless policy...since 19 April 2015". Following this statement, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) issued a Notice to "All Persons occupying the tents on land...adjacent to Oxford Road underneath the Mancunian Way in the City of Manchester" telling them to "leave the Land forthwith" or MMU will "commence court proceedings".
WTB solicitor, Ben Taylor, who has been representing homeless people since the Council began its offensive in April, explained: "The Council have issued proceedings to commit to prison certain individuals for allegedly breaking the terms of the injunction order. All but one of those individuals have had no previous dealings in the court and were not previously named in the injunction order itself.
"The application to commit to prison is listed to be heard on 30th September at 10.30am at Manchester County Court" he added "The decision to even apply to court to commit these individuals to prison will be a surprise to many Mancunians. This is a very serious matter indeed. I expect the individuals to vigorously defend the application and I will assist in every way that I can. No longer is this simply a matter of homelessness but also, now, a question of liberty."
Meanwhile, human rights organisation RAPAR called for the Council to disclose what housing stock it actually has weeks ago but no response has been received. Within hours of the order being made, over sixty people gathered in solidarity with the Camp, including two National Executive Members of the National Union of Students which was meeting in the city.
"We are shocked that, in this country, when people are trying to get out of a bad situation, you've got a Labour Council - who should be defending these people - sanctioning them" said NUS Vice President, Piers Telemacque "Clearly the Council are embarrassed about what is going on here. It shows a massive failing of the most vulnerable. For too long we have sat in isolation and walked past individuals and now, as a result of austerity, people who would not bat an eyelid are beginning to stand in solidarity."
His view was reinforced by the NUS National Disabled Student's Officer, Maddy Kirkman, who added: "The disgraceful Government cuts damage us all at a time when the most vulnerable are further marginalised - we must all stand in solidarity to protect our human rights".
The link between the homeless camps in Manchester and homeless migrants escaping war zones will be emphasised at a #MigrantLivesMatter Speak Out rally to be held at Piccadilly Gardens on 12th September.
"We face a dangerous tide of racism being deliberately fomented by the Tories" state the organisers "David Cameron's use of the word 'swarm' to describe the 2,000 or so people attempting to escape war and totalitarianism via Calais was a new low. The Tories are introducing new legislation targeting Muslim communities, legally forcing teachers and other public sector workers to spy on Muslims and report those who may be 'radicalised'. They aim to give landlords the power to evict migrants labelled as 'illegal' without even the basic protection of a court hearing.
"During the Tory Party Conference in Manchester in October, we aim to raise a clear voice of protest from trade unionists and anti racists against the Tories' attempts to divide our communities" they add "We need unity against Tory austerity – it's time to make a stand against their racist anti-migrant, anti-Muslim agenda."
#MigrantLivesMatter Speak Out
Saturday 12th September 1.30pm
Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester
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