On arriving, we blocked the road and the gates to Downing Street, some of us handcuffing ourselves to the closed gates. At a given signal we opened our begging bowls, which contained red paint and commenced to daub the gates and the road with the symbolic blood Tony Blair is trying to squeeze from us. Meanwhile we were having an arts therapy class outside the gates painting slogans on the road and getting jolly messy. We were put in solitary cells for 5 hours with no food or drink. Finally, we were released with a formal warning.
Disabled people are anything but a soft, safe target in Britain anymore.
This was also probably the biggest media event in disabled peoples history. It was covered by every TV channel, every national newspaper in Britain and was the lead story for 24 hours. Consult disabled people including DAN face to face. We all want reform, we all want to reach out to our sisters and brothers at the sharp end of poverty, discrimination and vulnerability. We, disabled people, are the experts, we are the ones who can help you construct a welfare system that empowers.