Extinction Rebellion to continue protests in parts of Manchester for two more weeks
Manchester City Council hwarned that delays are "inevitable" as XR protestors plan to flock to various points around the city centre over the coming fortnight.
Extinction Rebellion will continue to protest for a further two weeks in Manchester as the group campaign for tougher action from the government to tackle climate change.
XR members have congregated in St. Peter’s Square in the past – but a particularly large crowd is expected in this part of the city on Tuesday morning (10am) with hundreds potentially flocking to occupy the square for several hours.
Disruption to public transport is expected in and around the area throughout the day.
Protests will resurface in the square on Wednesday from around midday – as the group perform a dance to highlight the importance of ‘public sector pension fund divestment.’
Friday 4 September will see Extinction Rebellion head to Manchester Piccadilly early in the morning to protest the construction of HS2 – with members occupying spaces along the proposed track.
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Passengers could face lengthy delays as the group swarm the commuter hub from 8am.
Another early morning protest will take place in Media City on Saturday 5 September – with the group planning to gather in Salford to protest against the media.
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The gatherings are tipped to continue in the following days, as Extinction Rebellion aim to make their presence known in various cities around the UK including London and Cardiff.
A few photos from yesterday's Manchester Making History March. A tour around Manchester, highlighting it's colonialism, slavery and fossil fuel funding. pic.twitter.com/FFx8F9vIfX
Manchester City Council called delays “inevitable”.
In a statement on the planned gatherings, the council says it “respects people’s right to peaceful protest and has been working alongside Greater Manchester Police and other agencies to ensure they can demonstrate safely.”
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Representatives added: “We declared a climate change emergency last month and we are determined to be at the forefront of tackling this critical issue. We have set an ambitious target of making Manchester a zero carbon city by 2038 or earlier – at least 12 years ahead of the national target – and we are working hard on a detailed action plan for how this will be achieved.
“But in return for respecting the rights of protesters we expect that they respect the right of Manchester residents to go about their day-to-day business with minimal disruption.
The council also said it working with police, Transport for Greater Manchester and CityCo to “minimise the impact on the city.”
News
How will the Government’s new digital ID alternative for alcohol sales work?
Emily Sergeant
All licensed venues across England and Wales now have the choice to introduce digital proof of age for alcohol sales alongside physical.
Instead of having to hand over physical ID that contains personal information, such as names and home addresses, customers now have the choice to simply provide confirmation that they are 18 or over on their phone – helping to better protect privacy and personal safety in the process.
This means that, no matter whether you’re buying a drink at your favourite pub, heading to a festival, or enjoying a night out at a concert, you won’t need to worry if you’ve left your ID at home.
According to the Government, this new change will benefit businesses greatly too, as certified digital services are able to check that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it much easier than the alternative can, which therefore helps to reduce the risk of any fake or borrowed IDs going undetected.
Well, according to the Government, it could be as simple as a customer showing a QR code for staff to scan, or tapping their phone against a compatible reader, where staff will then receive a clear confirmation on their device that the customer has passed the age check.
This change follows a 2024 Government consultation where it was reported that 72% of respondents supported the use of digital identities for age verification when buying alcohol.
Digital Government Minister Stephanie Peacock reiterated that ‘it will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt [digital ID]’ and that physical ID will ‘still remain a valid way’ for customers to prove their age.
“This groundbreaking change in the law will mean you do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information such as your name or address just to prove your age, allowing everyone to feel safer on a night out,” she concluded.
Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
News
Manchester to host G20 Summit in 2027 with more than a dozen world leaders descending on the city
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has been confirmed as the host city for the G20 Summit next year.
It was already announced back in November last year that the G20 Summit would be coming to the UK in 2027, and plans were apparently already being discussed to host it in Manchester even before Andy Burnham became Prime Minister and Number 10 North was set up.
But now, ahead of this year’s leaders’ summit being held in Miami in December, it has been confirmed that the G20 Summit will arrive in Manchester in November 2027.
Manchester is said to have been picked to host the leaders’ summit because of its ‘cultural heritage’.
Bringing together 19 of the world’s largest economies and two major multilateral bodies – the European Union and the African union – G20 members who will be invited to attend the summit next year make up 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population as a whole.
Manchester has been confirmed to host the G20 Summit in 2027 / Credit: 10 Downing Street | Paul Kagame (Flickr)
G20 members are also some of the UK’s closest economic partners, the Government insists.
17 of the UK’s top 20 global export markets attend the summit, as do 18 of the UK’s top 20 sources of foreign direct investment.
The presidency of the G20 is currently held by the US but will pass to the UK after the leaders’ summit hosted by the president at his Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in December.
The 2027 summit will be held at Manchester Central, it has been confirmed, and other locations across the UK will also host other G20 events as part of the year-long presidency, but these are yet to be announced.
The Manc -
1st September 2020 
