ANTI-CUTS protesters stormed York’s council chamber last night as the city’s political leaders thrashed out their budget for the coming year.
A group of six campaigners leapt over the public gallery in the Guildhall and stood on a table in the centre of the room shortly after the meeting began to voice their fury at the threat to services forced by City of York Council’s need to save £21.1 million in 2011/12.
They chanted: “This is what democracy looks like,” and: “No ifs, no buts, no public service cuts”, as well as slogans berating Chancellor George Osborne, as police officers were called into the chamber.
After about five minutes of protest, when some of the council’s Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors left the chamber, the campaigners were coaxed down.
No arrests were made and the authority’s chief executive Kersten England said: “We all have strong opinions, but we also have to set a balanced budget.”
Before the meeting began, about 50 protesters joined a demonstration organised by the York Stop The Cuts group outside the Guildhall as police flanked the entrance to the building.
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