News / protest
‘Crips Against Cuts’ protest on College Green
Disabled people fighting back against government cuts gathered in Bristol to say “enough is enough”.
The protest on College Green was organised by Crips Against Cuts, a grassroots disabled-led pressure group, with Bristol Central MP Carla Denyer among the speakers.
Protesters fear that the government’s planned welfare cuts could negatively affect up to 1.2m people.
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‘Don’t cut PIP, tax the rich’ – photo: Rob Browne
Crips Against Cuts say the cuts “will be punitive and devastating for some of the UK’s most vulnerable disabled and d/Deaf people”.
“Cutting welfare will punish those unable to work and fail to improve access to the workplace, instead plunging people into further poverty, exasperating a growing mental health crisis, and worsening inequality, inaccessibility and a lack of support for disabled people in this country.”
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Beth O’Brien from Crips Against Cuts London said: “This is nothing short of an assault on the dignity and rights of disabled people in the UK.
“Human life has dignity regardless of work or productivity.
“Removing entitlements which helps pay for basic care and necessary support creates far bigger barriers to work and independent living.”
Crips Against Cuts is a newly formed grassroots group organising a day of action “to try and fight Labour driving more of our community into poverty” – photo: Rob Browne
O’Brien added: “Instead of punishing disabled people, this Labour government must invest in sickness prevention, research and treatment, and address widespread inaccessibility, prejudice and abuse.
“One in four working age adults have some form of disability, and most of us will experience disability in our lifetime.
“It’s time to cut the discrimination, not our lifeline benefits and access to society.”
Protesters gathered on College Green on Saturday afternoon – photo: Rob Browne
Main photo: Rob Browne
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