Magnificent anti-cuts demo leads to occupation of council chamber

Haringey Civic Centre occupied by hundreds of anti-cuts protestors
Stop Press from a HAPS member, 11.30pm Thursday 24th February

Haringey Civic Centre was occupied on Thursday 24th February by hundreds of anti-cuts protestors for 2 hours. The angry residents were calling on the Council to refuse to implement savage cuts to vital public services.

The occupation followed a huge protest rally outside the Civic Centre, in which a wide range of diverse groups of all ages and interests from Haringey’s local communities demonstrated their concern to stand up for their local services and facilities. Among the demonstrators were large contingents of children from threatened play schemes, older people defending vital drop-in centres, trades unionists, turkish activists and many community organisations.

Councillors were forced to abandon their meeting when protestors stormed into the Council Chamber and took it over – shouting ‘No Cuts’ and ‘Whose Town Hall? Our Town Hall’. They then held their own meeting.

After police finally forced residents to leave, the Council held their meeting. Despite heartfelt and intelligent speeches from representatives of the Haringey Alliance for Public Services and youth campaigners, the Council unfortunately voted through the brutal government-driven cuts, the worst the borough has ever known.

However, there have been similar mass protests all over the UK in recent weeks, including an occupation of the Town Hall in Lambeth on the 23rd February. The grass roots movement continues grow and the Government is gradually being forced onto the defensive. If the pressure continues to increase, the Government can be forced to reverse its unacceptable and now discredited cuts programme.

At the protest, HAPS distributed hundreds of leaflets to publicise a special ‘Fight The Cuts’ strategy day of discussions they are organising for March 6th. There were calls during the rally for the future occupation of facilities facing closure, for increasing solidarity and protests, and for industrial action to protect services and jobs. There were also calls for a massive Haringey contingent for the national anti-cuts demonstration on March 26th which is expected to be one of the largest protests ever seen in the UK.

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