Greater Manchester Solidarity Trip to Preston New Road

Laura reports back from the recent Greater Manchester Day at Preston New Road…

On Monday 16th April 2018, a group of Manchester residents travelled to the anti-fracking protest at Quadrilla’s site on Preston New Road, near Blackpool. Brilliantly organised by Judy Paskell and Frack Free Greater Manchester (FFGM), the journey by coach had a fun, school-trip feel to it. We even practised some protest songs on the way there!

Protesters gather daily at the gates of the Cuadrilla fracking site which is an amazing feat but very hard work for the main veterans. A series of solidarity weeks has been co-ordinated over several months to ensure their support and the loudest voice possible in opposition to fracking. We must ensure that our united voice is heard over the roar of this dirty and dangerous industry.

FFGM is proud and honoured to stand (and sit and get pushed around by the police…) alongside our fellow campaigners in Lancashire. Arriving at 10:30am, we stayed until the afternoon. We brought banners, placards, whistles and t-shirts and we were delighted to be joined by fancy dress protesters Scooby-Doo and Buzz Lightyear!

We marched together from the coach drop-off point to the site gates, about 10 minutes along the busy Preston New Road. Despite our presence being entirely peaceful and legal, the police did their best to stop us from exercising our civil rights by randomly and roughly pushing us around the road. It’s pretty depressing to see our guardians of peace standing up for the bully boys of free market capitalism.

However, the most inspiring and invigorating thing is to be amongst the protesters who are trying their best to stop fracking. As they say, “if we fight we may lose but if we don’t fight we’ve already lost”. Don’t we all want to stand alongside those who dare to dream of a better world?

This sense of community, solidarity and focus is inspiring. Everybody should book a day to visit Preston New Road. It will remind you of what’s important in life and provide much-needed support to the stalwart protesters. They also serve a delicious lunch!

For more information see: United Resistance

 

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