Salford Labour Party Website

STATEMENT BY COUNCILLOR DEREK ANTROBUS, LEAD MEMBER FOR PLANNING ON THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ST GEORGE’S RC HIGH SCHOOL DEMONSTRATION

 
Salford City Council cherishes the rights of citizens to participate in local democracy whether through the ballot or through protest.

The pupils from St George’s have been welcomed into the Council Chamber to hold councillors directly to account. The Council supported the organisers of the demonstration to ensure it was held safely.

The Council has no power to prevent demonstrations nor should it have. Organisers have a duty to ensure those who participate in demonstrations are safe. The Council works with organisers to ensure this is achieved. There is a cost to safety measures and this must be borne by the organisers. The costs include advertising in newspapers, legal fees, signage and wages.

The Deputy Headteacher (not a group of schoolgirls) requested the Council to provide the closures and asked for the bill to be sent to the school. The cost was known to the school in advance of the demonstration taking place. Schools spend a lot of money on carrying out risk assessments when sending pupils on trips and we were pleased that they showed the same duty of care to their pupils in this case.

The costs for the service provided by the Council are no different from room hire for a public meeting or paying a shop for materials for placards and T-shirts.

All demonstrators are treated the same. The only exemptions are for traditional, civic occasions such as brownies and scouts marching on St George’s Day and the parades by veterans on Remembrance Sunday.

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