Fuel Protests today :o)
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Tsippy

Original Poster:

15,078 posts

199 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
quotequote all
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1238...

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Reads -
Hundreds of bikers are preparing to bring roads and motorways in Manchester to a virtual standstill in a 'go slow' protest over the rising cost of fuel.

Organisers of tomorrow's demonstration claim it will be the largest of its kind in the country.

The bikers claim livelihoods are being threatened by an ever-increasing hike on petrol and diesel duty.

The cavalcade is set to start the protest at Hartshead Moor services on the westbound M62 at 9am before joining up with a second convoy at Birch Services towards Manchester. The motorway speed limit has been set by the organisers at 25mph.

From there the bikers, flanked by police, are due to head along the M62 then onto the M60 and the M602.

The convoy will travel into the city centre, leading to likely disruption on Liverpool Street, Albion Way, Trinity Way, Irwell Street and New Quay Street.

Traffic on Deansgate and Chester Road will also be hit before the bikers head along Regent Road to Salford Quays.

Organisers have liaised closely with Greater Manchester Police and West Yorkshire Police to plan the route.

Protest organiser 'Maverick' claimed the cost of a litre of unleaded petrol was higher now than it was two years ago despite a barrel of oil costing around half what it did then. He said: “It is time to say enough is enough. If you are as passionate as we are about being seen and being heard you will join us.”

Initially the route took in Manchester Town Hall but was changed because of weddings taking place there.

In a letter to organisers, police said officers would 'facilitate' the movement of the protest.

It said: “Greater Manchester Police will police this event in a fair and tolerant manner and have worked with the organisers in a spirit of co-operation and as such make the specific request that every person engaging in this protest does so on the understanding that police officers are required to uphold the law.

“It is asked of each participant that, on the grounds of public safety they follow the reasonable requests of Police officers escorting the protest group.”

Two years ago more than 1,500 bikers took part in the first protest in Manchester and organisers are hoping to better that figure on Saturday.

For details visit bikerfreestay.com.


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beer

sonic_2k_uk

4,008 posts

237 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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I just saw this one the news, and was quite surprised I'd not heard anything about it before as it looked pretty large hehe

NismoGT

1,634 posts

220 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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The truckers will hopefully be next.

Yeast Lord

329 posts

199 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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I wonder how many of these protesters vote in a way that results in the pound crashing.

Rollin

6,334 posts

275 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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So how does pissing off a load of motorists help?
fking idiots.

ShadownINja

80,084 posts

312 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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Rollin said:
So how does pissing off a load of motorists help?
fking idiots.
My thoughts precisely.

PS Repost.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Elroy Blue

8,841 posts

222 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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Do they really think that disrupting the lives of ordinary people is going to effect the Government line.

If you want to do something, do something that embarrasses Politicians. That's the only thing that will get some attention.

Idiots, the lot of them!

SmoothRB

1,700 posts

202 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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Good for them.


Tangent Police

3,097 posts

206 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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What they need to do is form a good old fashioned terrorist organisation and start blowing politicians effects up. wink

Obviously not causing injury to anyone, as that would be awful.

NismoGT

1,634 posts

220 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
quotequote all
Tangent Police said:
What they need to do is form a good old fashioned terrorist organisation and start blowing politicians effects up. wink

Obviously not causing injury to anyone, as that would be awful.
With an exemption for the Nu-LIARbour main cabinet ( of course! ) wink

Edited by NismoGT on Saturday 1st May 13:43

Tunku

7,703 posts

258 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
quotequote all
Rollin said:
So how does pissing off a load of motorists help?
fking idiots.
So what would your great idea be? Bend over and smile?

bonsai

2,015 posts

210 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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Tsippy said:
Two years ago more than 1,500 bikers took part in the first protest in Manchester and organisers are hoping to better that figure on Saturday.
And that was really effective. Losers.

alex1982

5,207 posts

240 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
quotequote all
This isn't gonna make any difference. The bikers may feel they're making a stand but really its gonna be a fairly small amount of people.

I made a suggestion of a national stay at home day. The idea being that nobody drives their car for a day because we cant afford to. I know it would be almost impossible coordinate on a national scale, but imagine if 20 millions vehicles didn't move for a day, thats about £1 million in duty the gov would lose, if i was for longer then that would make the gov take notice. Problem would be people who have important jobs, Doctors, Nurses, firefighters etc. As i said it wont never happen, but think what the gov would say to that if there were no trains run=ning for a day, hardly any taxis for a day, supermarkets, banks, etc closed as no staff to open. I would be more than happy to get a warning at work for having a day off to support that.

The other big problem would be that i dunno where you'd start with organinising millions of people to stay at home or walk/cycle everywhere.

getmecoat

AdeTuono

7,626 posts

257 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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[redacted]

sonic_2k_uk

4,008 posts

237 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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alex1982 said:
...imagine if 20 millions vehicles didn't move for a day, thats about £1 million in duty the gov would lose, if i was for longer then that would make the gov take notice....
I don't think that's going to make any difference, bearing in mind that the government spent 160,000 million more than they took in last year alone.

alex1982

5,207 posts

240 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
quotequote all
I know £1 mill is nothing to the gov, i am aware we are in debt somewhere to the tune of 160 odd billion. Its not just the fuel duty, but people wouldn't be spending in the high street so its VAT as well, people would be docked wages which would be a sacrifice, but no income tax or ni for a day, these things can snowball, if everybody in the country stayed at home for a week, the gov would lose, what 40 or 50 mil, just because we want to make a point about fuel duty.

SmoothRB

1,700 posts

202 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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[redacted]

Man-At-Arms

5,920 posts

209 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
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alex1982 said:
...imagine if 20 millions vehicles didn't move for a day, thats about £1 million in duty the gov would lose, if i was for longer then that would make the gov take notice....
and how are 20million people going to get to work on that day ?

the bus or train? maybe that'll show everyone how crap and non-prepared the public transport system is
because no money is being invested into it

alex1982

5,207 posts

240 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
quotequote all
thats the point 20 million odd people stay at home for a day so there isn't any public transport, lets stay at home and screw the country up (even more) for a day.

I dunno, was just a non violent, non terrorist, idea. Anybody have anything better? Driving slow doesn't do jack, we're not allowed to block refinerys, i dont see many other alternatives to just not driving for a while.

ShadownINja

80,084 posts

312 months

Saturday 1st May 2010
quotequote all
There isn't anything you can realistically do unless you inconvenience those who hold the power.

As I said a week ago, I did something just as effective - I held a biscuit protest in my office against the rising fuel prices. It was a tasty biscuit, too.

Edited by ShadownINja on Saturday 1st May 15:04