Thousands of people gathered in Manchester city centre this afternoon to protest against soaring energy prices and the cost of living crisis as part of a day of national action for an anti-poverty campaign.
Enough is Enough, a national campaign created by trade unions and community organisations to help battle the cost of living crisis, launched in Manchester at an event in the Cathedral on August 30, where organisers say over 5,000 people attended to hear from mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and RMT member Eddie Dempsey.
The event officially launched the campaign in the city region, with over 500,000 people across the country signed up to support the organisation's five demands within the first month. The group is pushing for: a real pay rise, lower energy bills, an end to food poverty, decent homes for everyone, and more taxation on the top five per cent of earners and big businesses.
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Whilst some of the group's demands have been partially met, including a reversal of the recent National Insurance payment increase from 12 per cent up to 13.5 per cent and a temporary cap to energy bill prices, a national day of action today, Saturday, October 1, saw demonstrations held in dozens of cities across the UK, including London, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Birmingham.
The demonstrations in cities including London, Glasgow and Belfast coincided with postal and rail strikes, along with a rise in average electricity bills of almost £600. Thousands of people took to the streets in Manchester city centre, with the main protest scheduled from 12pm at Piccadilly Gardens, before a march through the city centre.
Several people stepped up to speak at the rally, with live music also performed at the site. Former Coronation Street actor Lamin Touray, who played footballer Ashley Hardcastle in several episodes of the popular soap, was lined up to speak and previously said: "I saw the Enough is Enough campaign and just thought, that's exactly what everyone is feeling. I don't think anyone remembers when times have been this hard. Government needs to sit up and listen to the people - it can't go on like this!"
The rally was the second from the Enough is Enough campaign to hit the streets of Manchester, with both events gathering strong crowds of Mancunians. Organisers say thousands of people attended the first event, and although the Manchester Evening News has been unable to get an indication of how many people attended Saturday's rally, pictures show scores of people present. Organisers said 5,000 attended today's rally.
Don't Pay, a campaign to encourage people to not pay their energy bills, also joined the rally. Money saving experts have discouraged people from refusing to pay their energy bills as this could impact your credit in the future, instead pushing people to contact their energy firms and agree a repayment plan that fits with their income.
Across the nation, thousands of people turned out as part of the campaign's day of national action, with protests in London, Glasgow, and Belfast and dozens of other cities too. In London, activists supporting striking rail workers outside King’s Cross demanded that ministers cut energy prices before the temperature drops. At the same time, members of the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG), Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion (XR) were gathering outside Euston station to march on Westminster.
Protesters gathered on the Buchanan Galleries steps in Glasgow to argue against rising energy bills, joined by striking union members, whilst a rally outside City Hall in Belfast heard that children could die from hypothermia in the winter months without further Government intervention.
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