Young People recruited to release the balloons for the council had a last minute disagreement with Pride organisers over their refusal to allow them to wear “hoodies”. One 18 year old, Lou told a local journalist “I told them I had valid reasons for wearing my hooded top but the organisers told me that would detract from the image they wanted to convey”. “I decided to get involved with this event to increase to the visibility of young people at Pride and now I feel we've just been used and marginalised even more”.

During the official media opportunity, protesters encircled the Lord Mayor and Pride Organises set to launch dozens of pink balloons, then released in full view of the media and surrounded by political signs and banners stating “Pride Not Profit”, “Smash the Pink Pound”, “Liberation not Equality” and messages in support of saving the Manchester Gay Centre which the council recently held secret meetings about to discuss its closure.

Opposition to the increasingly commercialised festival has been mounting in recent years after the introduction of a wristband scheme blocking entry to the gay village for 4 days to anyone who could not afford the ever increasing ticket price. Since the introduction of the ticket fee the funding for charities and good causes that Manchester Pride claims to be it's main objective has fluctuated if not decreased significantly. Many groups have now pulled out of the main event claiming new charges for stalls and parade entries that were previous free coupled with the lever increasing lack of accessibility have made it impossible for them to participate.

Manchester Pride is estimated to generate over £20 million for the city each year (figures from Marketing Manchester and the North West Tourist Board) despite the level of contributions and results filtering back to the community and small, unfunded voluntary groups decreasing year after year.

Tonight's demonstration is one of the only moments in history that a public protest has actually taken place inside
the Town Hall. The group which describes itself as a cross section of community activists and local young people from a number of groups including Trans Youth and the Queer Youth Network bypassed the Town Hall's formidable security to gain entry to the Lord Mayors champagne reception where they unfolded several banners and held signs in a silent protest to the bemusement of local business leaders, politicians and invited guests.

Despite several members of the group actually having official invitations to the event, it wasn't long before they were removed from he Town Hall building apparently at the request of the lord mayor herself surrounded by an entourage of intimidating security guards.


Local journalists were invited to accompany the protesters and a significant amount of photographic and video footage has been documented which will shortly be available at  http://www.get-bent-manchester.com/


ENDS


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David – 07747 063 458  david@queeryouth.net


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