A MYSTERY group which has put up posters and created a spoof website mocking Manchester's 100-day clean-up campaign has been condemned by council bosses.
The secret organisation has fly-posted stickers on billboards and bus stops in the city centre with an "Up Yours" message to the town hall blitz on litter louts and other environmental offenders.
The group has hijacked the council's Challenge Manchester logo and re-branded it as "100 days to a mean and grey city".
Using a sophisticated website, copying the official council website's design from last year, the site satirises the clampdown on environmental and anti-social crimes as a "poorly thought out waste of money".
A fake press release on the website says: "The overarching theme this year will be making more money for us - your council and our favourite corporate partners.
"While at the same time having a jolly good bash at dirty homeless people, bored teenagers, graffiti artists and in fact anyone on the streets who might damage our attempts to sell more real estate to developers of luxury flats.
"That's right, once again it's time to ignore the real issues affecting the residents of this city (like record levels of car pollution and the increasing gap between rich and poor) and instead focus on things that curtain-twitching potential Labour voters worry themselves about, like dog s*** and other people who don't look like them."
The website also attacks "yuppie" city centre dwellers, street wardens, Stagecoach buses, the British army and the council's drive to tackle homelessness. The site does not publish contact details for the creators or reveal any other clues to the identity of the organisation.
In last year's clean-up, more than 1,000 fines were imposed on environmental nuisances, ranging from people dropping litter to those allowing their dogs to foul in public.
Coun Paul Murphy, the council's direct services boss called the group cowardly and anarchic and has vowed to prosecute anyone caught putting up the organisation's posters.
He said: "What people have got to understand is that we are attempting to clean up Manchester to a world class city standard. If people feel that agenda threatens liberty or we are being killjoys then I disagree profoundly.
"These people are environmental terrorists and we would be ankle deep in litter if it were left to them. I challenge them to show themselves and share a public platform as they don't speak for the residents of Manchester."
The clean-up campaign runs until May 24.
Comments
Login or Register to comment
The council are being ridiculous calling these people "terrorists". That's just sour grapes gone daft. I think these fliers have a point - tidying up makes the city look nice, which is true, but there are much more pressing environmental issues the Council should be ploughing its money into. Rather than name calling, let's hear what the Council's plans are to combat climate change and air pollution.
They speak for me actually.
And as for labelling them terrorists - what's that all about? Good to see the council has a firm grasp of debating principles.
As the 100 day campaign is costing so much, (isn't it hundreds of thounds of pounds?), the council should really ask itself if this is the best way to spend money on improving services.
I don't think a lavish opening ceremony offering cholotaes and champagne to council staff sets a good example either
This Group is really taking the mickey out of an effort to get people to stop dirtying their environment. I would hate to see the state of their houses and surroundings! What is wrong with wanting a clean and attractive city? Go take a look at the streets of our European cousins. Chances are you would get warned by passers-by if you tried practising these dirty habits on their streets, let alone being fined on the spot by the police. Dirty people (I can't think of another description) aren't clever.
at least when the waves lap at piccadilly as a result of global warming, we'll be able to say how clean our beaches are!
The money would be best spent on sending criminals away on lavish holidays at the tax payers expense. What on earth is the council thinking? Trying to clean the place up? Some people there obviously love living in filth and have gone to the trouble of making these posters. Shame they cannot transfer that effort into getting a job or maybe even walking over to a bin after finshing with their rubbish, but that takes pride and effort.
Councillor Murphy brands people who make a political point with a poster "terrorists"? Let me see now, would he be in the, ahem, "Labour" party?!
Graffiti and Litter come from selfish pigs who refuse any idea of community and care for your neighbour. The Chinese would put them in work camps and in Europe you would get a confrontation from an armed police man. All police in Europe are armed and serious i.e. interventionist on the street, not like here.
Anyhow I'm pleased that Salford are showing what can be done and doing a great job of keeping the environment clean. I noticed that Graffiti is hardly a day old before it gets removed. Salford is fighting back the selfish little facists who like Margaret Thatcher think there is no such thing as community.
It's called satire and, judging by the reaction from the Council, freedom of speech may be the next thing to go!
The site makes many good points about the commercialisation of everything in Manchester. There was a time when our city was a centre of radicalism. Trades Unions, women's rights, newspapers, the Co-op. Now, money talks.
talking of freedom of speech, i think it's only fair to say that the 'spoof' web site is at
http://www.100days.org.uk/
Coun Murphy
Clean up Rusholme
Its filfthy cause of the
restaurants, sod the these
crash pads & luxury aparts
What about elsewhere?
Rusholme is full of rats!
I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to criticise the Council for taking a firm stance against what "real" Mancunians perceive to be important and challenging issues for the City.
The person/s responsible for the spoof website are totally selfish and irresponsible. It has absolutely nothing to do with freedom of speech it is just some half arsed nonsense penned by a middle class toss pot who knows nothing about the issues of concern to "true" residents such as tackling graffiti, vandalism and stamping out selfish antisocial behaviour such as littering. Remember this all costs you and I money to clean up ! They probably live in some nice suburb where such issues don't affect them. Go and chatter somewhere else and try living in the real world.
My council tax is not being wasted on lavish ceremonies or empty promises -let's support our City's effort in making Mnachester a cleaner and safer place to live and work.
It's ok for the chattering classes who put together this piece of vitriolic nonsense but I want to reiterate that you do not represent me.
Finally I'm so glad you have the time to do this rather than find a real job and support Manchester's economy - you can't even come forward and show your face - cowards !