By Sarah Robinson

Published at 11:24, Thursday, 14 March 2013

A PEACEFUL protest against the Government’s proposed ‘Bedroom Tax’ is taking place in Whitehaven on Saturday.

People are being invited to “stand shoulder-to-shoulder” in a demonstration at the gazebo at Whitehaven Market Place between noon and 3pm.

It is one of 40 demonstrations being held around the country this weekend, in protest to the introduction of the spare room subsidy, known as the bedroom tax, on April 1.

This local protest has been organised by Flimby man Mark Ritson, who recently helped to set up a campaign on Facebook against the tax plan. He said: “This week sees a nationwide protest against the bedroom tax and I and my group admins [on Facebook] took it upon ourselves to organise and hold a demonstration in West Cumbria, choosing Whitehaven as the venue.

“We shall be protesting against the charge and also handing out leaflets explaining the charge and offering petitions to sign against it. We also have a guest speaker and union activist to give a speech on the day.

“We would like to ask the people of West Cumbria who are or are not affected by the bedroom tax to try to attend the demo and stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a peaceful but defiant public protest.”

The group will be supported by the members of the activist group Anonymous Cumbria who will attend the demonstration in support.

Mr Ritson said since the Facebook group was set up around six months ago, to inform people and explain about the charge on bedrooms, over 650 people have joined it to register their protest.

For more information, or to show your support, go to Stand against the spare room tax on Facebook.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk