Protesters: Unison and members of the public
Target: Rochdale Council
Location: Rochdale Town Hall
Date: 25 November
- The lowdown
Hundreds of council workers and members of the public staged a protest outside Rochdale Town Hall, as the council cabinet discussed the first round of its savings plans. There were violent outbursts as councillor Dale Mulgrew, acting leader of Rochdale Council, and councillor Keith Swift, cabinet member for skills and economic recovery, left the meeting. A section of crowd started hitting the two men with placards. Police intervened to stop the trouble.
- Why the protests?
The council plans to cut £14m from its budget by next April. A 90-day consultation period on the first phase of the cuts has finished and the council is now deciding its final position. Inside the meeting, users of homeless services aired their views.
- How did Rochdale Council respond?
Councillor Ashley Dearnley thanked the protestors for their comments, but told them that discussions surrounding homelessness services would be taking place at a meeting in the future - as they come under phase two of the cuts.
- Media treatment
The Manchester Evening News led on the outbreak of violence, with the headline 'Protesters confront councillors at Rochdale Town Hall'. However, Rochdale Online did not report the confrontation and used the headline 'Hundreds protest outside Town Hall'.
