Four Arrested At Anti-Fracking Demo in Droyslden!
by Brian Bamford (Sec. Tameside TUC)
by Brian Bamford (Sec. Tameside TUC)
TODAY four objectors to Tameside Council's dirty dance promotion of fossil fuel investments through the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) were detained in a protest of about 100 activists from FOSSIL FREE GM protesting outside Guardsman Tony Downes House in Droyslden, in Tameside and were taken away to police stations in Ashton-under-Lyne and elsewhere in Greater Manchester. The three men and a young lass were arrested after they had super-glued and locked themselves to the railings.
Environmental activists, Green Party members including Tameside Cllr. Lee Huntbach, and trade unionists were present at the event.
The occasion today was what should have been the AGM of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, but in a remarkable piece of Orwellian linguistics has now been re-christened the 'Annual Employers yearly update'! The protesters were supporters of 'FOSSIL FREE GM'.
This cunning change of title was created so as to justify excluding the pensioners who are members of the Pension Fund, and public from meeting. Consequently, the event today chaired by Tameside Council boss, Brenda Warrington, became a glorified Councillor's Concordat from which the membership, the pensioners and the public were locked-out.
As the FOSSIL FREE GM campaigners super-glued their limbs to the railings of the Pension Fund's building and set about their business-like endeavours of spray painting the windows of the Manchester Road building urging the council bosses of Greater Manchester to quit their dirty investments in oil companies like Shell and Fossil Fuels generally, nervous councillors furtively fled round to the rear entrance to gain access to their 'BOSSES ONLY' secretive Concordat.
In the past these Greater Manchester council bosses have tried to assure the public that they are clean and responsible in their investment decisions. Last year in their Annual Statement these Pension Fund bigwigs declared:
'Although we will listen to special interest groups that oppose some of GMPF’s investments, for example in alcohol, gambling or pharmaceuticals, we cannot let this detract from our duty. Considerations such as these have led us to decide not to have or develop a detailed generalised ethical investment policy. We prefer to concentrate on developing a policy that involves using voting and other contacts to positively influence company behaviour. In our view, simply disinvesting from particular companies is a denial of responsibility.'
Perhaps the Manchester supporters of 'FOSSIL FREE GM' can be excused for seeing this as yet more hypocrisy from their local councillors.
Environmental activists, Green Party members including Tameside Cllr. Lee Huntbach, and trade unionists were present at the event.
Exclusive Bosses Secret Concordat as Pensioners Banned
The occasion today was what should have been the AGM of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, but in a remarkable piece of Orwellian linguistics has now been re-christened the 'Annual Employers yearly update'! The protesters were supporters of 'FOSSIL FREE GM'.
This cunning change of title was created so as to justify excluding the pensioners who are members of the Pension Fund, and public from meeting. Consequently, the event today chaired by Tameside Council boss, Brenda Warrington, became a glorified Councillor's Concordat from which the membership, the pensioners and the public were locked-out.
As the FOSSIL FREE GM campaigners super-glued their limbs to the railings of the Pension Fund's building and set about their business-like endeavours of spray painting the windows of the Manchester Road building urging the council bosses of Greater Manchester to quit their dirty investments in oil companies like Shell and Fossil Fuels generally, nervous councillors furtively fled round to the rear entrance to gain access to their 'BOSSES ONLY' secretive Concordat.
In the past these Greater Manchester council bosses have tried to assure the public that they are clean and responsible in their investment decisions. Last year in their Annual Statement these Pension Fund bigwigs declared:
'Although we will listen to special interest groups that oppose some of GMPF’s investments, for example in alcohol, gambling or pharmaceuticals, we cannot let this detract from our duty. Considerations such as these have led us to decide not to have or develop a detailed generalised ethical investment policy. We prefer to concentrate on developing a policy that involves using voting and other contacts to positively influence company behaviour. In our view, simply disinvesting from particular companies is a denial of responsibility.'
Perhaps the Manchester supporters of 'FOSSIL FREE GM' can be excused for seeing this as yet more hypocrisy from their local councillors.
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2 comments:
Given what you have said Bammy,the demonstrators certainly made an impression. But how environmentally friendly was the super glue and the spray painting of the entire GM pensions building? Was this Eco Friendly action?
Dear Agatha,
Sometimes you cannot make an omelette without breaking some eggs.
How environmentally friendly have any of these demonstration been? Sometimes things have to be done that appears, on the face of it, to be going against the grain. On this occasion it has had the desired effect and obtained the publicity that it was designed for.
T.B.K.
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