Residents of Manchester's first council housing block stage 5-day sit in over ageism and oppression

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A group of residents at Manchester's oldest social housing block have occupied a communal area and reached the fifth day of a sit-in protest, after housing chiefs told them the room would have to close outside of regular hours for various reasons, including health and safety.

Calling themselves the Dwellers, the five pension-age residents have said the decision to shut the area is an example of ageism and oppression.

Built in 1894 as the city's population continued to explode, was Manchester's first-ever council housing scheme and it features fine Victorian architecture, as well as a well-maintained central garden and communal space for the many older people that call the tenement-style block their home.

However, some residents have said that they feel infantilised over recent demands to remove decorations and not use their shared space outside of normal working hours.