How do you explain it to a kid?

“How do you spell condolences?” It’s the morning of the 23 May 2017. Last night a bomb went off in Manchester Arena. When I’d fallen asleep, there were conflicting rumours about what had happened. It still seemed possible that the ‘bang’ was a burst balloon or a faulty speaker. This morning I’m on the other […]

Hugs conquer hate in Manchester

Sitting and watching Sarah Whitehead and her team of volunteers giving out free hugs, it became clear to me that the spirit of this city will not be broken. Mancunians were visibly embracing the advice of poet Tony Walsh when he said “Choose love Manchester” at a vigil to those killed and injured in the […]

Al Nakba 1948 : Manchester remembers the ethnic cleansing of Palestine

In 1948 a massive humanitarian disaster began when around 750,000 Palestinian Arabs were expelled from British Mandate Palestine by the actions of Israeli forces during the creation of the state of Israel. On the 13-14 May Manchester Palestine Action (MPA) commemorated those events, calling for solidarity and support from individuals and organisations to bring an […]

It beggars belief: Rochdale Council plans to punish the homeless and restrict civil liberties

Rochdale Council are proposing sweeping new laws that will force homeless people to pay fines for begging and also restrict freedom of expression by fining the distribution of unauthorised printed materials and leaflets. The proposals, which are still open to limited public consultation, have been condemned by human rights charity Liberty as a “staggering misuse […]