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The Ark Manchester, located on Oxford Road under Mancunian Way overpass, is a self-built street homeless shelter- the only emergency shelter for all in Manchester to use. It was created by the homeless with public support and provides safe and caring refuge, protecting the city's most vulnerable and unprotected from violence, danger and abuse. We the undersigned are horrified and disgusted by the appalling manner in which Manchester City Council and Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) are aggressively persecuting and attempting to remove those from inside The Ark Manchester. The vile treatment that is happening in Calais is also happening in our own backyard with respect to Manchester City Council's deplorable treatment and utter contempt to those who have been forced into homelessness. Being homeless is not a way of life but born from the inequalities perpetuated under austerity measures that has disenfranchised and isolated some of the most vulnerable communities, which include the working class, the disabled, women, people of color, and refugees and asylum seekers. It is an absolute scandal that in Greater Manchester alone there are 25,000 empty properties that could be put to use sheltering our city's homeless and those in precarious housing status. What is even more scandalous is that it is a Labour run city council inflicting much of the violence on our city's homeless. Even more horrifying is Manchester City Council's repeated attempt to strip away all our human rights and leave us to the mercy of corporate violence and abuse with little to no recourse. Compounding this even further is MMU, guilty of fleecing incoming university students with outrageously high tuition fees that leaves many in horrendous debt in an economy with very few job prospects. What is particularly outrageous is that MMU is forcing out the homeless community at The Ark Manchester just so they can store extra waste bins on land that they have never used. MMU is fleecing our city's homeless from their ability to keep safe and secure just so they can make their university more marketable to sell themselves to new and prospective students. MMU prides itself in being committed to the community, to creating real social impact through its research and teaching, and to improving lives of people and neighborhoods in its proximity. Surely MMU should take the lead from Humboldt University of Berlin, who are allowing refugees to sit in on lectures for free. Perhaps MMU can provide the same respect and consideration that Humboldt University of Berlin is showing to those vulnerable. MMU should be allowing and helping those at The Ark Manchester to continue their community and direct support for those dealing with poverty, precarious housing and homelessness. We would hope to see MMU being at the forefront of protecting and supporting the city's most vulnerable, not victimizing and displacing them. Already close to 1,500 supporters have signed a petition demanding that Manchester City Council and MMU to cease possession of The Ark Manchester. We call on the Manchester City Council and MMU to do the following: call off the possession order against Ryan Mcphee and Jenny Wu, end any legal proceedings against The Ark Manchester, and allow The Ark Manchester to remain as is. Additionally, we also call on Manchester City Council to work with grassroots homeless-rights activists to find sustainable means of dealing with the homeless epidemic in our city instead of continuing a policy of scaremongering and violence inflicted on those already extremely vulnerable. 1. Dr Adi Kuntsman, Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University 2. Mitch Mitchell, Activist 3. Rick Burgess, Manchester Disabled People Against Cuts 4. Amrit Wilson, Freedom Without Fear Platform 5. Aderonke Apata, Manchester Migrant Solidarity 6. Norma Turner, Chair of the Greater Manchester Community Branch of Unite the Union 7. Dr Anandi Ramamurthy, Lecturer, Sheffield Hallam University 8. Defend the Right to Protest 9. Sanaz Raji, Campaigner, Justice4Sanaz 10. Eleanor Lisney, Disability Right's Campaigner 11. Alison Stevenson, Activist, Manchester Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) 12. Greta William Schultz, Activist 13. Manchester No Borders 14. Steven Graby, Member of the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disability People (GMCDP) 15. Lily Huggins, Homeless Shelter Volunteer, Warwick University Student Union Councillor and member NUS Women's Subcommittee 16. Mike Smith, Member Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) 17. LiLi K. Bright, London 18. Ilyas Nagdee, University of Manchester Student Union 19. Shelly Asquith, VP for Welfare, National Union of Students (NUS) 20. Charlotte Bence, Chair of London & Eastern Unite Young Members' Committee
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