ARRESTS AT NHS PAY PROTEST
ORGANISER GIVEN £10K FINE
AN NHS worker who organised a protest over the government’s one per cent pay offer in Manchester city centre has been fined £10,000.
Karen Reissmann, a mental health worker and Unison rep, was among those who turned up for the demonstration in St Peter’s Square at noon yesterday.
All attendees were wearing masks and cones were marked out on the floor to help maintain social distancing.
But before the protest could go ahead, Karen, aged 61, was spoken to by officers from Greater Manchester Police who said it was illegal under current coronavirus restrictions.
The M.E.N. was streaming the incident live as Karen explained the situation to those in attendance and that the protest would have to end.
However, once the gathering dispersed, Karen was asked to speak to officers on the edge of St Peter’s Square and told she was being handed the maximum £10,000 fine.
Another woman, aged 65, tried to stay with Karen and was arrested for ‘failing to provide details having refused the opportunity to leave when asked.’ GMP said she later provided details and was dearrested but given a £200 Fixed Penalty Notice.
GMP claimed around 40 people had attended the gathering.
Supt Caroline Hemingway said fines had been issued because of ‘a degree of non-compliance.’
“With the positive step of schools reopening tomorrow, it is vital that people continue to follow government legislation on social distancing and avoid gathering illegally in large numbers,” said Supt Hemingway.
“We sought to engage with and peaceably disperse those attending this afternoon’s protest, explaining that the gathering was in contravention of government lockdown rules. “Unfortunately officers were met with a degree of non-compliance and it was therefore necessary to enforce issue FPNs.” Speaking before the protest was dispersed, Karen Reissmann had insisted the protest would be safe. “Unfortunately the police have told us we can’t proceed with this despite what’s going on in the health service,” she told the crowd. “We’ve been told we will not be able to go ahead with this, I’ll be fined and reported to my employer and disciplined and people here will be fined as well, so we will therefore be shutting it down.
“I think we’ve made the point we wanted to make, we sent a message to the government. I think it’s outrageous that somehow this is deemed illegal when the size of the crowd here will be ten times bigger in hundreds and thousands of schools tomorrow morning.
“This isn’t about safety, this is about the government trying to stamp down on protest, which is a crying shame.”
This isn’t about safety, this is about the government trying to stamp down on protest Karen Reissmann