Bianca Jagger with anti-fracking campaigners outside Downing Street in 2014
The human rights advocate, Bianca Jagger, is on the line-up of speakers at a national anti-fracking rally in Manchester tomorrow.
Other confirmed speakers include: Leigh MP and Labour’s candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham; John Ashton, former special representative for climate change at the UK Foreign Office; David McCoy of the health charity, Medact; geophysicist David Smythe; and representatives from Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the Unite union.
Buses are bringing opponents of fracking from across the UK to the event, which begins at Piccadilly Gardens at 11am, followed by a march to Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl.
The event, called United Against Fracking, will be compered by Jenny Ross, BBC Comedy Award winner and former host of the Sunday Show.
The programme includes music from the teenage violinist Morgan Marshall, of Preston New Road Action Group in Lancashire. He will perform Do You Hear the People Sing?, from Les Miserables, with specially-adapted lyrics. YouTube recording
The event also includes music from Manchester’s Open Voice Choir and the former Hacienda club DJ, Dave Haslam.
The event has been organised by frack free groups in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Ryedale. It is supported by SumOfUs, a movement aiming to counterbalance the power of corporations, along with the Unite union and Manchester Trades Union Council.
A spokesperson for Frack Free Lancashire said:
“We are overwhelmed with the massive effort that has gone into organising this national event, by so many people. This rally should be taken as a message to the government that we will not stand back and allow our communities to be overrun by dirty industry.”
Link to Facebook event details
- Ms Jagger’s human rights foundation commissioned a report in 2014 which concluded that rights to life, respect for home and private life and peaceful enjoyment of possessions were threatened by fracking. It called for a moratorium on fracking until an assessment of its impact on human rights had been carried out and placed in the public domain. DrillorDrop report
Categories: Opposition
DRILL OR DROP? 
Jeez what a sad lineup. I’ll be enjoying a nice champagne lunch looking fwd to a nice SP rise next week on a positive move fwd via planning consent for Springs Road.
OMG I can not stand Jenny Ross. She came second in a stand up contest 10 years ago and is still calling it a BBC comedy award. Anything else since?
Mr M. Don’t be so sure. Just look at the recent US presidential election. Anything is possible.
A friend just send me a photo. Not many people turned up. Less than 200 so far. Maybe they flew over the US to protest against Trump. And probably a more worthy and valid cause than the petty anti fracking party.
Well it is bigger crowd than I thought. Roughly around 500 people.
Who cares what know nothing Bianca Jagger says? Ex celebrity trying to be important?