Manchester Pride 'right of way' row: Campaigners hoping to access Big Weekend without tickets hit road block
Manchester Pride 'right of way' row: Campaigners hoping to access Big Weekend without tickets hit road block
Protesters against Manchester Pride who were hoping to exercise their ‘right of way’ over the Big Weekend and pass through the festival without tickets may find themselves shut out.
Event organisers have put in an official request to the Department of Transport to ensure that the right of way be suspended and that the road be closed over the bank holiday weekend.
Campaign group Facts about Manchester Pride had obtained a letter from Manchester City Council in response to an FOI they submitted – which confirmed to them that that the general public have a right to walk down the street if they so wish.
But if Manchester Pride’s application is granted, it would revoke any right of way.
Co-founder of Facts about Manchester Pride Geoff Stafford told MM: “This is not about getting into the Big Weekend for free, it’s about our rights, and about our walks down the street.
“We are encouraging everyone who would potentially use right of way to make a donation to the charities.”
However not everyone agrees that giving people access to this right of way is good thing.
Some Village bar owners were keen to stress that the barriers around Pride are essential to ensure people’s safety.
Michael ‘Polly’ Pollard, owner of Taurus, told MM: “We need to have barriers to protect those who visit Pride.
"The last time the barriers weren’t up was in 1999, and there were numerous incidents of stabbing and rapes as there was no control over who was coming into the village.
“I was the licensee of Mantos in 1999 and the riot police had to come in and the event was closed 24 hours early because there was so much trouble.”
He added: “If people want to return to those days of 1999 where our community were getting abused, attacked and sexually assaulted, I think that’s foolish.”
This latest news flies in the face of Facts about Manchester Pride group, who were intending to crash the street festival over the bank holiday.
They claim that Pride’s ‘authoritarian’ control over the area is unfair on the LGBT community who want to participate in queer spaces, and feel the event has become detached from its roots when the event was first pioneered.
“The suspension of the right of way also would have an impact on residents,” claims Geoff.
“I’ve heard stories about a resident having a birthday party where guests couldn't come into his home.
“I have spoken to a man who had his civil partnership over the Pride weekend and had his reception at his flat on Canal Street.
“When his guests arrived security refused them entry even though he had cleared it with Manchester Pride.
“Pride started as a political and civil rights thing and now it’s not political and now it has lost sight of its origins.”
The drama between the social media based group, Pride and Village business owners has been rumbling on for some time over the direction of annual LGBT event.
The Big Weekend is expected to attract some 100,000 revellers from across the country, with some coming from Europe to participate in the celebrations.
With performances from the likes of Anastasia, All Saints, Pixie Lott and Foxes, this year looks to be one of the biggest and most star studded Manchester Pride events.
However the money made for HIV charities has significantly decreased in recent years giving only £34,000 to charities last year as the event pays out more to increase the scale of the show and secure larger acts.
However Polly, whose bar Taurus has been on Canal Street for two decades this year, believes the change in Pride is to be expected and isn’t a point of worry.
Polly told MM: “For a four day event, the tickets are relatively cheap and Manchester Pride is one the only Prides that year after year turns over a profit and gives money to charity.
“The cost of living has gone up and unfortunately that does have an impact on the money that goes to charity. When Pride was at its peak there weren’t so many Prides, but now we have to compete and make sure were giving people the best show with the biggest acts.”
He added: "Pride is a celebration that people come from all over the country and Europe come to enjoy, we need to consider their safety, and their health.”
Manchester Pride were unavailable for comment on the issue.
Image courtesy of Chris Geary, with thanks.
Comments
Michael Pollard is wrong. 1999 was the FIRST year with the village totally fenced and with tickets. And no money for raised for good causes in at all in 1999. The previous year, 1998, tickets were only needed to get into the bars and fences were only used for crowd control. Then it was unfenced and free again in 2000, 2001 and 2002. With fences back in 2003.It's a shame Mr Pollard and his fellow business people are so quiet the rest of the year about the violent incidents. But of course the fences mean lots of cash for them as the tickets fund a pink pound business bonanza paid for mainly by the public. And poorer people can be kept out so they don't take up precious space.In recent months there has been the rape of a man in the toilets of a bar. A woman raped after getting into a fake taxi on Canal Street. An off duty doorman almost stabbed to death on the Bloom Street car park. Two gay men in fetish gear attacked on Richmond Street at 2am - one needed a brain scan and the other had his teeth kicked out. A man was hit over the hear with a concrete slab recently. And so it continues....How about tackling the crime and disorder so people can be safe the other 361 days a year when there aren't fences? But no, again, scaling back the drunken excess would hit profits for Mr Pollard and chums.An HIV positive man who was protesting about service he had received from one of the charities was punched in the face at the Pride Vigil last year and dragged away by police. Did you say anything about that Polly? Thought not...
Polly, as always, is thinking about the bottom line and how Pride will see him through another year. There is no pride in Pride these days. Charities and support groups which once benefitted from the huge generosity of attendees fade away and disappear whilst the fat landlord and bar owner pigs feed away at the troughs from the wallets of gullible wristband wearers. Pride has turned into a music gig wrapped ingloriously in the freedom flag. I for one will have no part in this vulgar commercialism. Donate direct to the charities which need your support.
A petition to the Secretary of State for Transport has been launched. The petition asks for road closures enabling the event to be granted on time but the restriction on pedestrians who don't pay a fee to Manchester Pride Ltd to be disallowed.
It takes moments to sign.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/maintain-public-access-to-manchesters...
"The Big Weekend is expected to attract some 100,000 revellers from across the country...."
More made up figures. Manchester Pride usually has approx 39,000 tickets sold and it's never gone above 44,000 in recent years.