Below we repost a report from Richie, a member of Parents Against Cuts, about a protest against cuts to Sure Start in Newcastle on 1 October 2014:
A pleasant evening (well timed for those with small children – Wednesday 6pm) at the council offices tonight. After Annie Rutter was generously allowed 100 words to comment on the cuts by the council, all parents with children who turned up to give support were held at the doors for twenty minutes on the grounds that children were absolutely not allowed in! To a meeting directly concerning children and parents of children.
Health and safety -‘ more than my jobs worth ‘ came the adamant cry from the half dozen security guards, supported by three police officers- which eventually was relinquished, so apparently health and safety goes out the window if you persistently ask to speak to someone who actually makes decisions.
We just had to be extremely careful, with small children, on a high balcony as it was a potential risk – so said the security guards.
Having then been held at the door long enough to miss Annie speak her whole 100 words, a peaceful protest of hanging a banner over the balcony was met with extreme physical aggression from security staff who, now apparently throwing caution to the wind, felt it necessary to push past all the children and parents on the balcony and fight with those making the peaceful protest.
Luckily the police were there to save the parents from assault…but somehow misunderstood the situation and started helping the thugs…sorry, security ……again pushing past all the parents now holding their distressed children, in forcibly removing those making their peaceful democratic protest against cuts facing some of the most vulnerable members of Newcastle’s society.
It was a real pleasure to see at first hand the money that the council has at it’s disposal being spent in defending Councillors freedom to ignore public opinion, and physically and forcibly prevent directly affected members of our society stating their views.
Long live democracy!
Below is the speech given to full meeting of the council by Annie, a supporter of FRFI and member of Parents Against the Cuts:
I’ve been given 100 words to represent Parents Against Cuts.
Here’s one word: CON
We are unimpressed with the lack of publicity given to the Family Services Review [The CONsultations]. And if people did hear about it then they were forced to vote between equally terribly options. We’re all users of Sure Start but we’ve got no wish to see children with speech and language therapy needs, or children with mental health problems, or parents who need support around substance abuse affected in order to save Sure Start. We’re against all of these cuts, and that’s the message we’ve got.
Another word: SCARS
I asked a friend who couldn’t be here tonight as her child would likely have vomited on you and she said her take-home message from the consultation was that it looks like we cannot afford ANY cuts to family services. Levels of deprivation in Newcastle are already high. Any further cuts will scar our communities.
Another word, or two: CROCODILE TEARS
As parents we are sick of councillors crying crocodile tears while our communities are suffering from cuts to basic services, from reductions to support like benefits and at the same time with the increases in living costs.
Nick Forbes told us earlier that his hands are tied by legality. Once it was illegal for women to vote. Once slavery was legal. And I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that Hitler was voted into power. Please don’t tell us that the law is more important than Newcastle’s children.
We think that Newcastle’s children are all of our responsibility. They did not cause the recession. They did not bail out the banks with public money. They did not vote for any wars abroad, or for austerity measures at home.
We demand you stop voting for cuts and start meeting the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable people of Newcastle and defend all of Newcastle’s children.
And can I just say, considering where we are today, how we got here, the fact that many of you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the suffragettes. Was is it really that much of a crime to hang a banner, instead of heckling you, a banner that said “No cuts to Sure Start, No cuts at all”? That’s what I would ask you.
