Protesters express mild surprise that grooming gang members haven’t vanished in puff of taxpayer-funded outrage.
Dozens gathered in Rochdale town centre this weekend in the latest episode of This Still Isn’t Fixed Yet?, a long-running local tragedy starring cowardice, bureaucratic amnesia, and the ghost of institutional credibility.
The “Enough is Enough” protest saw campaigners demand that three men convicted in the borough’s infamous grooming gang case be deported, an action that apparently remains harder to execute than a pothole repair in Rochdale.
“We’re sick of being ignored,” shouted Billy, a man who’s been campaigning on this issue for over 20 years and still hasn’t been offered a token CBE or a dental plan. “There’s been cover-up after cover-up. If they spent as much energy on child safety as they do on rebranding council logos, we’d be Luxembourg by now.”
Locals, councillors, and the traumatised spirits of the Casey Review gathered outside Rochdale Town Hall, a building so symbolic of failure it should be twinned with a broken smoke alarm. Among the crowd was Councillor Farooq Ahmed, who recently demanded an emergency meeting, which is sure to solve everything as soon as it’s rescheduled for after the next internal review of the last inquiry into the first report.
Supporters from all backgrounds joined forces, declaring that child protection shouldn’t be a partisan issue, though judging by historical precedent, it does seem to be a seasonal one. Protesters urged unity, calling for an end to the divisive narrative that turns systemic failure into cultural blame.
“My daughter’s 20 now and I still don’t like her coming here,” said Karina, a local mother, while glancing nervously at the looming spectre of yet another report destined to be filed under “lessons will be learned (eventually).”
One speaker quoted figures showing that over 35 grooming gangs had been investigated in Greater Manchester recently, and another highlighted the 4,000 children given police cautions for “prostitution,” a term now officially recognised as “seriously what the actual hell?”
As the speeches ended, many nodded grimly at the familiar cycle: outrage, protest, apology, committee, forget. Plans are already underway for the next phase, a heartfelt documentary, another petition, and a new plaque in the town hall stating “Oops.”
Rochdale Council has promised to take all concerns seriously, just as soon as they finish filing this one under “C” for “Crisis Management Optics.”
