Liverpool councillors snuck out of meeting as tempers flare during 15-minute city protest

Tempers flared as concerned councillors had to leave by a side door after protestors staged a demonstration at Liverpool Town Hall over a new neighbourhood plan adopted by the city council.

Members of Liverpool Council’s sustainable, safe and thriving neighbourhoods committee had to be escorted out of an alternative exit as dozens of activists gathered outside the historic building on Castle Street to make their voices heard about the implementation of a new plan carving Liverpool up into 13 new areas. The meeting was suspended as a select number of people who were allowed into the committee room were removed by council security staff.

One member of the public was heard shouting how councillors were “a disgrace” and accused the authority of neglecting democracy.

Around 30 people positioned themselves at the door of the Town Hall on Tuesday evening with banners, placards and posters. One man with a loud hailer described the plans as a “top down, totalitarian regime” claiming it was the “China style, social credit system.” Banners hoisted aloft outside the meeting claimed “globalist’s fund climate scientists for climate hoax or they get defunded.”

Many said they had attended the meeting – which some erroneously described as a planning committee – in objection to the neighbourhoods model adopted by Liverpool Council’s cabinet last week. The new model will divide the city into 13 neighbourhoods, each led by a senior manager who will be permanently situated in the area.

They will each work with departments across the council to highlight and tackle the key issues in the area, be it housing, waste management, potholes, parking, or anti-social behaviour.  As councillors entered the Town Hall, activists shouted “treacherous traitors” and accused them of “betraying” the city.

A total of ten were allowed to observe the meeting, held in public.

As members discussed the city’s proposed transport plan, Cllr Mirna Juarez addressed why members of the public had not been allowed to ask questions, particularly around 15 minute cities. A 15-minute city is an urban planning concept that proposes the redesign of neighbourhoods to ensure vital amenities are within easy reach.

Committee chair, Cllr Joe Hanson, who had already asked for calm earlier in the meeting, told the room it was not an agenda item and would not be discussed. After asking one woman to be quiet, she replied: “I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, you’re a public servant.”

Having been interrupted, Cllr Hanson suspended the meeting and asked for a woman to be removed. Cllr Juarez said: “This is a public building, our meetings are supposed to be in public” as one man filming proceedings was asked to stop.

Before they left, one woman shouted: “You’re an absolute disgrace… we’ve got valid concerns about all this.” The man who was filming as he was led away said: “Disgraceful behaviour, you should be ashamed of yourself, you’re all a disgrace, hang your heads in shame.”

As the meeting continued, a man with a loudhailer stood outside shouting: “We will refuse to pay our tax to you, we will not pay an illegal tax to a corrupt corporation, we will not do this so we ask you as our councillors as our representatives of the city not to push ahead with this agenda.”

After the meeting ended, concerned councillors had to be escorted out of a side door, with some understood to be fearful of the crowd outside. Outside the Town Hall, one woman protesting against the decision said the new council staff would be “19 new emperors” imposed on communities while another person said: “We don’t want to be told what to do, it’s called being free, it’s about being free.”