Former Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert has claimed governments are planning to “bring down everything” in a message to elected officials outside the city’s Town Hall.
The ex-Reds forward was among hundreds who gathered outside the municipal building on Water Street yesterday in demonstrations over widely debunked theories over 15 minute cities and Liverpool Council’s adoption of a new neighbourhood model.
With a beefed up police presence around the Town Hall, campaigners played music and chanted as councillors stood in front of the main door of the building.
Banners were held with slogans such as “say no to Liverpool 13 zones,” “climate change is a hoax” and “we do not consent.” Former England striker Mr Lambert, who posted on social media encouraging people to turn up, posed with campaigners and smiled for pictures.
Speaking on a live stream posted on YouTube, the Kirkby-born ex-footballer explained why he had chosen to attend. He said, “Obviously these people have come to divide us, which is obviously a government tactic, they’ll allow them to have their say but it is a little bit damaging. I’m here to protest against the 13 zones, which we all know which will be initialised for 15 minute cities and it is all under the guise of climate change, which is completely unacceptable, net zero is totally unacceptable.
“We won’t have it. I can see they’re trying to divide us but this city will come together when needed, I am totally sure about that, so that’s why I’m here today.”
In July, Liverpool Council adopted a new model that will divide the city into 13 neighbourhoods, each led by a senior manager who will be permanently situated in the area. They will each work with departments across the council to highlight and tackle the key issues in the area, be it housing, waste management, potholes, parking, or anti-social behaviour.
Some campaigners said they felt they would be barred from leaving their designated areas under the scheme and ultimately fined for doing so. This is not true.
A 15-minute city is an urban planning concept that proposes the redesign of neighbourhoods to ensure vital amenities are within easy reach. When asked what he thought the result of the new neighbourhood model would be, Mr Lambert who lives in Formby, said, “Locked in our houses, locked in our houses.
“Locked in your cages, 15 minute cities. They’re getting rid of our carbon, not the cars, not the planes, ours and that’s how they’re going to do it.”
Mr Lambert, 41, who scored three goals in his one season for his boyhood club in 2014-15, sent a message to the councillors as they went into the meeting. He said: “Please listen to us.
“Please listen to us, I’m not sure whether you actually know, you might actually believe it’s for the better of this city, but we are urging you to look at the bigger picture at what’s going on around the world. This is planned by all governments to bring down everything.”
Image source: David Humphreys/LDRS. Inset: Football.ua CC BY-SA 3.0
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