Eric Segal, Kent Socialist Party
‘Save Folkestone Library’ campaigners are on the front foot in our fight to save the library from the Kent County Council (KCC) councillors’ attempts to permanently close it.
Following the successful demonstration through Folkestone called by South East Kent Trades Union Council, we decided to start a petition and set up a stall in the centre of Folkestone to collect signatures. We used a loudspeaker to let people know why we were there and that we wanted to keep the library, which is at the centre of our community, open. Once local people realised that there was a petition, queues began to develop around the stall. Over a period of a month we have collected 2,800 signatures crashing through the figure of 2,500 signatures necessary to force KCC to review its decision.
A young worker who signed the petition on his way to work said: “I was unemployed and didn’t have internet at home. I went to the library and they helped me to use the library computer to prepare my CV. I now have a good job because of the library so I support the campaign.”
We agreed to keep pressure up on the councillors, so we organised a protest outside the County Hall in Maidstone to disturb their Annual General Meeting followed by their lavish lunch. Around 20 campaigners from Unite the Union, the RMT and other groups told councillors that we will not accept the forced closure of the library.
We are determined to win this battle against a council running scared after the local elections. We hope that the protest gave the councillors indigestion.
