Rochdale groups join protest against the cuts

Members of the Peace Group with a 'Cut War not Pensions placard in the march

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Campaign groups and unions from Rochdale were amongst the tens of thousands of protesters at the North West TUC demonstration against cuts to public services, pensions and jobs on Sunday afternoon.

Groups from Rochdale who attended included the Rochdale branch of UNISON and the Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group.

The groups joined with other trade unions and campaigning groups from across the region in a march - billed as a march and rally for ‘The Alternative – jobs, growth, justice’ - that took them through central Manchester and past the Conservative Party conference.

About 35,000 demonstrators took part armed with whistles and horns and various banners and placards. A major police operation was in place but the protest passed off peacefully and no arrests were made.

Helen Harrison, from Rochdale UNISON described the day as “really good.”

She said: “It was good fun, it was a very serious occasion but everyone enjoyed it.

“We were there about everything, cuts to public services, inflation, unemployment, supporting students against fees. We were there for everything, everyone who had something to protest about was there and we stood together.”

Ms Harrison said she “hopes” to see more of these demonstrations “until they listen, because they aren’t doing at the moment.”

“We were there to get the point across that there is an alternative to the cuts,” she said, “I want to see people who evade tax pay it – that would bring in billions. I would like to see investment in public services not cuts, I would like to see the creation of jobs and more houses.”

Philip Gilligan from the Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group, added: “This was a protest that united many groups who know that there are real alternatives to the policy of cuts in jobs, pensions and essential public services.

“The peace group was clear in promoting the message that an end to spending on the Trident nuclear weapons system and an end to spending on the disastrous war in Afghanistan would free many resources to help protect our education, health and social services.”