What a morning! Nearly 4,000 people assembled on the seafront. Highlights:
Babies, teenagers, mums, dads, grans, grandads, buggies, wheelchairs, walking aids, pushchairs – the protesters were NOT Silly Old Sods but concerned citizens from all walks of life.
From ALL OVER East Devon – placards from Exmouth, Seaton, Feniton, Ottery and probably many more places (it was so crowded I could see only the placards around me).
So many acronyms for EDDC – and some of them were just so brilliantly creative (though one poster was just a bit near the knuckle perhaps!)
Rousing speeches, music, chanting (mostly “Diviani, Diviani – OUT, OUT, OUT).
A lame and lacklustre speech from our Beloved Leader Diviani which was basically just a bunch of platitudes strung together and totally unconvincing.
East Devon councillors mostly conspicuous by their absence and those that were there trying to keep in the background (with the notable exception of Independent councillors Claire Wright and Roger Giles who were universally praised and held in great esteem by the assembled crowd)
The antipathy towards the East Devon Business Forum.
Oh and that tea and coffee. They were obviously expecting only a hundred or so protesters and so had one tiny tea urn manned by Diviani who looked very uncomfortable behind it but had obviously been told to stand there by his PR people.
Next time (and there will be a next time Mr Diviani) you might want to book the caterers who do Glastonbury or other large events!
People of East Devon: 3,800, East Devon District Council 0!
Sidmouth Independent News 
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