Over 200 on eve-of-budget march

Posted: October 19, 2010

Local residents and workers responded to a call by Haringey Alliance for Public Services, and marched to a rally at the Civic Centre in Wood Green.

At the rally, on Monday 18th October, protestors called on Haringey councillors to demand adequate government funding, reject privatisation, and oppose and refuse to implement cuts – or resign.

Organisations from across the borough brought their banners and spoke at the lively rally on the council steps. These included Haringey Friends of Parks Forum, Haringey Federation of Residents Associations, PCS union, Haringey Solidarity Group, Day-Mer, UCU CoHENEL branch, Sustainable Haringey and Haringey Disability First Consortium.

The demonstration was testimony to a growing movement against the cuts. In September, over 120 anti-cuts protestors braved a very wet autumn evening to show their opposition before the Council Cabinet meeting.

Haringey Council estimates it will make £60m cuts over the next four years. This is on top of the £17m which central government has already cut from our local services in the last four months. If these cuts go unchallenged, threatening further privatisation of our public services, it will prove devastating for all sections of our local communities. HAPS is encouraging everyone from across the borough to get involved.

Joan Curtis of Haringey Friends of Parks Forum (affiliated to HAPS) said: “Friends of parks groups have worked hard to rescue our local green spaces from the scandalous state they got in after Government cuts in the 1980s. We must not let this happen again, and urge all residents to attend the demonstration and to speak out.’

Michelle Lawson of HAPS Publicity Group said: “These cuts are not inevitable. The Government’s propaganda and myths are being increasingly challenged as local campaigns like ours spring up throughout the country.’

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