Today MPA, along with Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Jews for Justice for Palestinians and other trade union activists confronted Manchester City Council’s executive meeting to both call out the Council on their calculated delaying tactics, refusing to post a petition about it’s G4S contracts and also to highlight the many human rights violations which G4S are complicit in.

Stop G4S is a national campaign that seeks to pressure local governments and other organisations that have outsourced contracts with the private security firm. The growing list of human rights failures include the death of Jimmy Mbenga, an Angolan migrant who, following racist taunts from guards, died in G4S custody; hideous conditions of G4S asylum housing  and running and administering child prisons In the Westbank, settlements and Israel, to name but a few.

As protestors sat in, they confronted the chair as to why their petition had been stalled. Activists held placards and shouted down the chairs attempt to ‘rationalise’ the councils ‘referral for legal advice’ which no other petition has been objected to. The lasting message from the campaigners was that Manchester City Council does not want to be known as Manchester G4S Council, one that facilitates a private security company’s ineptitude and relentless trampling of human rights.