As Theresa May was dancing around the stage at the Conservative Party conference, things were much more serious outside. Because disabled people were protesting about what the UN has called “grave” and “systematic” human rights violations on her party’s watch.
“Tory Cuts Kill”
Campaign group Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) staged a protest in Birmingham on Wednesday 3 October. The demo was supported by people on Twitter. They used the hashtags #ToryCutsKill and #HostileEnvironment. The protest was for what DPAC said were the:
thousands of disabled people [that] have been killed by the [Tories’] policies and mindless cruelty.
In short, people were raising awareness of what the UN has called a “human catastrophe”:
#ToryCutsKill pic.twitter.com/1kkjMTRMW6
— eleanor 陶翠華 (@e_lisney) October 3, 2018
They ended up outside the conference:
#ToryCutsKill man here said that one Tory delegate told him 'next time I ll cut you' @Dis_PPL_Protest pic.twitter.com/FRXl35qSog
— eleanor 陶翠華 (@e_lisney) October 3, 2018
#ToryCutsKill pic.twitter.com/ELjEdx8d2U
— eleanor 陶翠華 (@e_lisney) October 3, 2018
People stopped the trams:
Trams in Birmingham halt for disability protest. #ToryCutsKill pic.twitter.com/ptKy47QEXx
— Dr Emma Rawlings Smith (@Geography_Emma) October 3, 2018
Blockade in central #Birmingham #CPC18 #ToryCutsKill pic.twitter.com/t9igTmC1nJ
— DPAC Bristol ♿🌹 🏳️🌈 🇪🇺 (@DPAC_Bristol) October 3, 2018
#ToryCutsKill holding up the tram at #Birmingham corporation Street pic.twitter.com/JPYZ4oJrDc
— eleanor 陶翠華 (@e_lisney) October 3, 2018
And they blocked the roads:
#ToryCutsKill #HostileEnvironment #CPC18
DPAC doing what they do best.@paulapeters2 @Dis_PPL_Protest @UniteCommSuffk pic.twitter.com/JqdIDV0EYL— martin tolley (@TolleyM) October 3, 2018
Meanwhile, on Twitter, people joined the demo using memes:
I have been working in mental health for 20 years and around the system for far longer.
In all my years, I have never witnessed such horrendous conditions for those who have been let down by society. #CPC2018 #HostileEnvironment #ToryCutsKill pic.twitter.com/IdnMOlPtcW
— Dr Jay Watts (@Shrink_at_Large) October 3, 2018
#ToryCutsKill #CPC2018 #CPC18 #HostileEnvironment
The Tories refuse to stop and scrap UC which is driving people into poverty and destitution pic.twitter.com/mIBSWSkztu— Anita Bellows (@AnitaBellows12) October 3, 2018
And as ‘Sarah’ pointed out, May dancing to ABBA wasn’t really funny:
https://twitter.com/ScouseGirlMedia/status/1047453257952645120
A “human catastrophe”
The fact that the PM felt she could start her speech by strutting around to Dancing Queen shows her party’s arrogance. Because as The Canary has documented, disabled people have been subject to what the UN has called “grave” and “systematic” violations of their human rights. The chair of one UN committee even called the situation a “human catastrophe”.
Claimants of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) welfare have suffered numerous benefit cuts, the flawed Work Capability Assessment, and the closure of the Independent Living Fund. But most critically, thousands and thousands of people have died on the DWP’s watch.
A dancing clown
DPAC’s continued pressure on the government shows it will not silence disabled and sick people. And a ‘dancing clown’ posing as the PM won’t, either.
Get Involved!
– Support DPAC, fighting for disabled people’s rights.
Featured image via ITV News – YouTube and Martin Tolley – Twitter
