Hulme Gallery (e)
Fri 30th April 1999: Reclaim The Streets an environmental protest group staged a peaceful demonstration which ended in violence, arrests & the closure of the A57 for over 3 hours in a bizarre stand-off with authorities. Events began in an Oxford Road side street, one of MCR’s main transport arteries & heart of University campus. From midday until 3pm, a slowly growing crowd of students, well-wishers & passers-by danced to techno from a small sound-system van & relaxed on what was one of the hottest days of the year
Without warning 20 of Manchester’s Finest moved in intent on impounding a generator driving the music. There were objections. People who tried to occupy the van were forcibly removed. Ensuing violence, bottles & beer cans were hurled at police injuring several officers, resulted in 8 arrests. GMP regrouped (helicopter hovering over ahead) & formed a cordon, concerned that city centre might become a target for civil disobedience
The protest took a sharp turn into Hulme , long held site of challenges to authority, where it was met by yet more police. They flooded onto the A57 Mancunian Way slip road, stopping the soon-to-be rush-hour traffic by their sheer volume and, with cars soon backing up, beginning a 3 hour sit-in that would cause total gridlock south of the city centre
Commuters & constabulary were completely helpless. There was nothing anyone could do about it. Manchester had simply ground to a halt. People trapped in their vehicles were angry but others merely bemused and, resigned to a long wait, turned on their radios. Others danced & played football in the sun. An arbitrary exemption process let through some elderly drivers & those stranded with children. Hairy Biker edged his motorbike through but was prevented from passing. He got off, parked his bike & joined in to great welcoming cheers. HGV drivers were not so impressed or as accommodating, leaning on their air-horns repeatedly in frustration. In the sunshine though the chaotic carnival mood remained
This was state of play for more than 3 hours until the crowd began to move back into Hulme where the sound-system had been re-established in a nearby children’s park. Police moved in again. Further arrests were made. Perhaps learning from previous experience, however, the music was allowed to continue long into the night
Without warning 20 of Manchester’s Finest moved in intent on impounding a generator driving the music. There were objections. People who tried to occupy the van were forcibly removed. Ensuing violence, bottles & beer cans were hurled at police injuring several officers, resulted in 8 arrests. GMP regrouped (helicopter hovering over ahead) & formed a cordon, concerned that city centre might become a target for civil disobedience
The protest took a sharp turn into Hulme , long held site of challenges to authority, where it was met by yet more police. They flooded onto the A57 Mancunian Way slip road, stopping the soon-to-be rush-hour traffic by their sheer volume and, with cars soon backing up, beginning a 3 hour sit-in that would cause total gridlock south of the city centre
Commuters & constabulary were completely helpless. There was nothing anyone could do about it. Manchester had simply ground to a halt. People trapped in their vehicles were angry but others merely bemused and, resigned to a long wait, turned on their radios. Others danced & played football in the sun. An arbitrary exemption process let through some elderly drivers & those stranded with children. Hairy Biker edged his motorbike through but was prevented from passing. He got off, parked his bike & joined in to great welcoming cheers. HGV drivers were not so impressed or as accommodating, leaning on their air-horns repeatedly in frustration. In the sunshine though the chaotic carnival mood remained
This was state of play for more than 3 hours until the crowd began to move back into Hulme where the sound-system had been re-established in a nearby children’s park. Police moved in again. Further arrests were made. Perhaps learning from previous experience, however, the music was allowed to continue long into the night
Return to: Gallery 3: From The Archive: Writing's On The Wall or Gallery
Return to: Gallery 3: From The Archive: Writing's On The Wall or Gallery