STANDISH: Protests

Wigan Today

Members of the community gathered in Market Place, Standish to take part in a protest against plans to accommodate asylum seekers at Standish hotel Kilhey Court, at the same time a counter protest was held by Wigan Stand Up to Racism.

Transcript

00:00 Refugees are welcome here!

00:02 Hands up! Stay clear!

00:04 Refugees are welcome here!

00:06 We're all refugees!

00:08 I'm David Hassick from Wigan's Stand Up To Racism

00:11 and we're here in Standish this morning to demonstrate that

00:15 regardless of any genuine concerns that people might have

00:18 about the change of use of killing at the court

00:21 then the language that's being used to whip up division and hatred

00:24 within our town will not be tolerated there

00:26 and we will organise wherever anybody attempts to exploit that

00:29 and take advantage of vulnerable people in society

00:32 whether that's refugees, asylum seekers

00:35 or the workers at the hotel whose jobs have been placed at risk

00:37 by the cynical exploitation of Macdonald Group.

00:39 We're here to engage with as many people in the community as possible

00:42 to have dialogue with them, to make sure that they understand

00:45 we share their concerns, we stand in solidarity with any workers

00:48 whose jobs are at risk.

00:50 We just want to make the point that whatever happens here

00:53 anyone that does end up being housed in Wigan and Standish

00:56 they will have our support, we will stand by them

00:59 we won't allow them to be abused, exploited and scapegoated.

01:02 Hi, my name's Moira Byrne and I'm a local councillor for Inks and Schools.

01:16 I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by some Standish residents

01:20 who were concerned when they heard that Kelly Court was being closed down

01:23 people were losing their jobs and it was going to be used to house asylum seekers.

01:28 They were very concerned because we already have a hotel

01:31 on the other side of Standish, the Britannia, housing 200 young men

01:34 and they're really worried about another maybe 200 young men

01:38 unvetted, unchecked, coming and living in the village.

01:41 It's not sustainable.

01:43 The services in Wigan, health services, the hospitals are massively overstretched.

01:48 I'm trying to help people at the moment struggling to get housing

01:51 people at risk of eviction, families like I've got mothers and children

01:55 in a travel lodge all in one room, probably the other side of Wigan from the school.

02:00 No wonder people are resentful.

02:02 We're not blaming, in a way, those young men for not choosing to be housed there

02:07 but we are blaming the government, McDonald's, hotels, Serco

02:12 because this has become a big money-making thing.

02:15 We really just want, we're not racist, we're not prejudiced against anyone

02:19 we just want our village to be safe, our children to be safe.

02:22 We don't know who these men are and we don't know where they've come from.

02:26 No one's consulted with us or asked us about anything.

02:29 It's just imposed on us.

02:30 This protest, all it is, is for people, the residents of Standish and Wigan

02:34 to peacefully protest and stand up and give their views on the situation

02:39 so people are free, when I've done a little speech, to stand up and say how they feel

02:44 how they feel this will impact on their lives and how they really want the council

02:49 to fight it like they have done in Bolton and Chorley and try to stop this.

02:53 It's a totally unsuitable place. It's up the road, there's no shops nearby.

02:57 What are those young men going to do? How long are they going to be there?

03:01 What's the future plan? Nobody's told us anything.

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