Dockers Solidarity

Boosting the growing Earth First!/workers rights alliance, the Manchester Argos shop was targeted before Christmas in solidarity with the sacked Liverpool Dockers.

The Dockers support group and EF! activists from the north west occupied and blockaded the city centre store on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Activists linked themselves with armtubes and circled around the store, eventually stopping just inside the doors: others lined up on the goods counter and everyone was entertained by brilliant theatre and alternative Docker-supporting Christmas carols. Police at first opted for the stalemate of keeping the store open but letting activists stay but as the tempers of a few disgruntled shoppers increased, police action seemed likely and everyone decided to leave when the fire alarm went off.

A strident picket outside turned most shoppers away but the 'impartial' police soon positioned themselves outside the doors making sure that people knew the shop was still officially open.

However, custom was massively reduced, there were few arrests and the fight to put pressure on Mersey Port Authority, through asking Argos to pull out of using the port goes on. Contact 0161 224 4846