Peterloo Now: The Roots of Protest in 2019
In partnership with the University of Manchester and The Guardian, we will be hosting a series of discussions to mark the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo massacre. Join our panel of speakers, as they debate whether the root causes of the Peterloo massacre are already playing out in 2019 Britain.
When in 1819 tens of thousands of people gathered to peacefully protest for parliamentary reform, the response from the wealthy yeomanry was violent: 18 people were killed and over 600 injured. The national media worked in the pockets of the government and led to the founding of the Manchester Guardian to report the truth.
Now, we have climate change that needs addressing urgently, and a government failing to deliver or even agree on Brexit. As protests gather with increasing regularity and in swelling numbers, and as government continues to fail to discuss anything other than Brexit are the British people going to act on their feelings of under representation? Could these be the roots of a Peterloo in 2019?
This event is part of a series called Peterloo Now. Other events in this series:
- Tuesday 18 June: The gaps in representation
- Tuesday 25 June: AI and the fourth industrial revolution
- Tuesday 2 July: Is devolution the way to a healthier democracy?
Image: The roots of protest Photograph: Johannes Spahn/EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm
