News
Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down part of Manchester city centre
JUST IN.
Extinction Rebellion protests are taking place in Manchester for two more weeks with roads closed this morning in the city centre.
From September 1st, Extinction Rebellion will be ‘standing together’ in Manchester, asking people to ‘join us and be the change we all know we need to see’.
A leaflet being handed out reads: “The system has failed us! The inept and inadequate response to Covid, the continuing harm and suffering at the hands of the racist system in which we live and the ongoing climate and ecological breakdown are all inextricable linked.
“There is no doubt, the time to act is now.
“The system must change, together we must change it.”
Disruption to public transport is expected this morning and tomorrow from around midday, as the protests will resurface in St Peter’s Square again tomorrow.
On Friday September 4th, Extinction Rebellion will head to Manchester Piccadilly to protest the construction of HS2 from 8am.
Media City is expected to see an early morning protest on Saturday 5th, with a group planning to protest the media.
Manchester City Council has explained delays are ‘inevitable’.
A statement from the council on the planned gatherings explains that the council ‘respects people’s right to peaceful protest and has been working alongside Greater Manchester Police and other agencies to ensure they can demonstrate safely.’
The statement continued: “We declared a climate change emergency last month and we are determined to be at the forefront of tackling this critical issue.
“We have set an ambitious target of making Manchester a zero carbon city by 2038 or earlier – at least 12 years ahead of the national target – and we are working hard on a detailed action plan for how this will be achieved.
“But in return for respecting the rights of protesters we expect that they respect the right of Manchester residents to go about their day-to-day business with minimal disruption.”
The council also said it is working with police, Transport for Greater Manchester and CityCo to ‘minimise the impact on the city.’