A council meeting ground to a halt on Thursday after members of the community protesting against proposed tax rises started chanting: ‘Shame, shame, shame.’
Bradford Council’s annual budget meeting had only just got underway when it had to be paused due to the disruption.
Video footage shows the activists – some of whom are from the Acorn Union – draping a banner with the union’s logo over the balcony as their shouts ring out across Bradford City Hall.
Sheets of paper also appeared to have been thrown from the public gallery onto the council chamber below.
Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Beverley Mullaney, who was chairing the meeting, warned protesters that if they didn’t settle down they would be removed.
But, her attempts to subdue them were unsuccessful, and security had to be called.
Images appear to show a tense clash between security guards and protesters and at one point somebody appeared to have their arm around the security guard.
Describing the pandemonium, one onlooker told the Telegraph and Argus: ‘The incident was quite unpleasant, the security guard was being dragged backwards and some people were looking quite shocked.’
This is the dramatic moment a council meeting descends into chaos as protesters shout ‘shame’ over proposed tax rises. Video footage shows the activists – some of whom are from the Acorn Union – draping a banner with the union’s logo over the balcony
Bradford Council’s annual budget meeting had only just got underway before it had to be paused due to the disruption
Images appear to show a tense clash between security guards and protesters and at one point somebody appeared to have their arm around the security guard
Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Beverley Mullaney (pictured), who was chairing the meeting, warned protesters that if they didn’t settle down they would be removed
‘It all seemed very aggressive – more the type of thing you’d see at a local derby football match than at a democratic meeting,’ they added.
The budget is expected to include a 9.99 per cent Council Tax rise and millions of pounds worth of cuts.
Council leaders said increasing tax by £2 or £3 pounds a week could reduce borrowing over the next 20 years by £111m.
They also said it would help protect services for vulnerable children.
Once the meeting had resumed Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe argued that the tax rise was necessary to keep the council afloat and that there is ‘no other way forward.’
She explained how even with the tax increase the council tax in Bradford would still be lower than the national average for a council of its size.
ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is a community union that protests to address issues affecting low- and moderate-income families
MailOnline has approached Bradford Council for a comment.
