HUNDREDS of demonstrators demanding the right to work have taken their protest to the streets of Manchester.

The protest brought Bank Holiday traffic to a standstill in the centre of Manchester with up to 1,000 people taking part in the city's traditional May Day march.

The event was organised by trade unions and three times the number of people took part compared to last year's event.

This year, it was focused on the recession, and those responsible for the country's economic collapse, but marchers were also intent on drawing public attention to the plight of the unemployed - including refugees and migrant workers.

Demonstrators were also using the protest as a platform to spotlight the local and European Parliament elections next month, urging people to use their vote wisely.

Police had to intervene before the start of the parade which assembled at All Saints, next to Manchester Metropolitan University, when a small number of BNP members tried to provoke a response from the crowds.

There were no arrests, but the group was escorted away from the area by uniformed police.

There were no further incidents as the march made its way along Oxford Road and then to Castlefield where the event ended with a rally and May Bank Holiday festival.

Queues of traffic built up as the parade made its way into the city centre, with police motor cyclists stopping vehicles on Oxford Road, Lower Moseley Street, Great Bridgewater Street, Deansgate, and Liverpool Road.

The May Day event was organised by Manchester Trades Union Council, Refugee and Asylum Seekers' Participatory Action Research (RAPAR), Manchester Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers, and Love Music Hate Racism.

Geoff Brown, secretary of Manchester Trades Union Council said: "We want Manchester's message to be heard loud and clear.

"This is the deepest recession for 70 years, and workers are angry and concerned. But we want the right to work for all, including refugees, migrant workers and people who have come to this country seeking asylum.

"As trade unionists, we know that we must remain united and show solidarity. We will not tolerate the racism of the BNP and their divisive tactics."

Mark Krantz, one of the organisers of the march said: "We were delighted at the turnout. We reckon there were 1,000 people involved, which is more than three times the number involved in the event last year.

"In the present economic climate, the main focus this time was about the right to work, for everyone that has already lost their job, those that are about to, and also people from overseas who desperately want to work.

"Many of them have much needed skills, including nurses and doctors, but they are not being allowed to put them to use for the benefit of the whole community.

"The second message we want to get across, with local elections imminent, is that people should say no to the BNP who would bring race hatred and indiscriminate violence to the streets of multi-racial Manchester."
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