Haringey spending cuts protest 'utter disgrace', says council leader (From Haringey Independent)
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Spending cuts protest 'utter disgrace', says Haringey Council leader
11:45am Friday 25th February 2011 in Muswell Hill & Crouch End By Elizabeth Pears
Haringey spending cuts protest 'utter disgrace', says council leader
PANDEMONIUM broke out at a Haringey Council meeting last night when angry protesters stormed the civic centre in Wood Green and clashed with police in a spending cuts row.
Council leader Claire Kober branded the demonstration an "utter disgrace" after a council porter was knocked over and a policewoman injured as a crowd clamoured to break into the council chamber.
She said: "I know the activists in Haringey and I don't think that some of the people here tonight are genuine residents, just a fringe group that came here to cause trouble and stop local people's voices from being heard.
"After what happened in Lewisham and Lambeth, we were expecting a turnout tonight and have been working with police all week to ensure what happened went smoothly. What has happened tonight is a council porter just doing her job was attacked and criminal damage was caused. This is not my idea of democracy."
Three riot police and more than 20 officers were called to clear the chamber and the meeting went ahead nearly one-and-a-half hours later than planned.
Members of the public were banned from the meeting, available on webcast, and three deputations from Save Haringey Youth Centres, Haringey Youth Council and Haringey Alliance for Public Services.
The chaos followed a peaceful protest on the steps outside the building where hundreds of residents turned up to voice their concerns over the swingeing £34 million public cuts the council approved last night over the coming year.
Long-serving councillor Sheila Peacock, speaking after being evacuated from the building, said: "In all my time, I have never seen anything like this. We've had flour chucked at us. Once, orange juice – but this is the first time we've ever had to leave the chamber.
"It just breaks my heart. Making these cuts goes against the grain of what it means to be a Labour politician. We would never have made these cuts under ordinary circumstances and feel that this anger should be directed at the coalition Government."
Youth workers, the elderly, the disabled and other voluntary groups had gathered on the steps ahead of the full council meeting scheduled to start at 7.30pm.
But as the meeting was about to start a small faction tried to force their way into the council chamber, instead of heading to the public gallery.
They were held back by Haringey police officers, who were eventually pushed out of the way. One female officer was heard screaming "please let me go" and was left in floods of tears.
Approximately 20 protesters made it into the chamber where they proceeded to write "no more cuts" on the wall, climbed on furniture and sat in the chair usually reserved for the mayor and the chief executive.
One woman, who police tried to restrain, was heard screaming: "You're all obsolete. I never voted for a single one of you."
After the protesters had been evicted from the building, police formed a blockade outside.
Comments(4)
Diopside
says...
3:25pm Wed 2 Mar 11
It is easy to say no and be destructive, so much harder to actually do something about the problems and challenges that face us. I am fed up of the negative and distructive 'activists' in Haringey who just want to perpetuate a grunge myth about the 'hard, dangerous, radical and down trodden' borough that I call home.
The people who shout loudest and muscle their way in are not who should shape and define this borough. I want to hear the people who put the time and effort in to try and make the place better and who treat local people with dignity and respect - those who are motivated by social concern not the political dinosours.
Loaded & Locked
says...
11:20am Fri 4 Mar 11
Pork Pies
says...
11:25am Fri 4 Mar 11
Dont forget our winter pride event darling
Ms Represented says...
11:08am Mon 28 Feb 11
I was present at the rally outside the cuts meeting at Haringy Civic Centre on Thursday the 24th and I would like Ms.Kober to explain who she thought the people present at that were other than local residents. I saw elderly, young people, children, disabled and a range of local activists including two men of the cloth united in protest. Does she really believe that a subversive group from outside the borough parachuted its way into the Civic Centre, identitiy unknown?
She also decried the occupation of the Council Chamber as denying access for Haringey people to partake in democracy. What does she think the previous actions by the rally demonstrated if not residents angered by the cuts and fighting to keep open their vital front line services? Moreover, the delegation from Haringey Alliance for Public Services, HAPS, fronted by Dave Morris was given another chance to speak at the delayed meeting. Dave's speech made little impact on the Councillors present, who carried on to push the cuts through notwithstanding.
The Council did promise however to be present on the Trade Union demonstration on March 26th against the cuts made by central government. I find this hypocritical, given when given every chance to stand up to these devastating cuts, they refused to do so.
Finally, I would like all Haringey Councillors to reconsider their position on these cuts and to imagine the impact on residents who are already amongst the poorest and most deprived in their community. Let them remember that they were elected by Haringey residents and not central government. They ought to be accountable to us.