Hairy Biker Si King is set to headline a rally over the cost of living crisis in Newcastle on Thursday.
Hundreds of people are set to gather for the rally, where Labour MP Zarah Sultana will also make appearance. As well as the headliners, there will be rail, postal and education workers who are engaged in this year's wave of strike action.
The rally, which is organised Enough is Enough, follows on from the campaign's Day of Action which attracted over a thousand people to Grey's Monument on October 1, where King gave a moving speech. Following the speech, the popular TV chef told ChronicleLive: "People should rightly be concerned, it is not about party politics.
"I don't care whether you vote Tory, Liberal or Labour. What I do care about is the humanity of things.
"People are being pushed into poverty and desperation through absolutely no fault of their own but through systems in place that are fractures and broken and don't work. You can't continue to put profit and corporate wealth and power over people and their lives."
Enough is Enough, which was founded by trade unions and activists, is calling for fairer pay, a cut to energy bills, an end to food poverty and shoddy housing. And a spokesperson says after Thursday's rally, the next step will be direct community action such as supporting the NUFC Fans' Foodbank. The charity is expecting to take a hit in terms of donations while the World Cup is on, while protesters are also looking to save community spaces which are threatened by the cost of living crisis.
The North East has been hit particularly hard by the cost of living crisis, with a damning Which? report published this morning identifying the region as the area where the most people need help when it comes to food costs. For months, The Chronicle has reported on people and businesses who have struggled with the cost of food, fuel and energy bills in our region.
Speaking ahead of the rally, Lisa Doherty of the NUFC Fans Foodbank who are holding a collection at the event, said: "It doesn’t matter where you come from or what job you’re in, everybody is struggling and the people in this city are struggling very badly at the moment. We are gathering as a city on Thursday evening to say Enough is Enough."
There have been demonstrations and protests across the country in recent weeks and months, including a mass protest in London on Saturday organised by The People's Assembly, which called for a general election to take place amid the crisis. The Enough is Enough Launch Rally will take place at 7pm on Thursday November 10 at The Boiler Shop.
Have you attended any protests or demonstrations against the cost of living crisis? Let us know!
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