A PROLIFIC campaigner and trade union activist - who was speaking at a protest in the town centre as recently as Saturday - has died aged 67.
Dave Gibson, of Western Street, Barnsley, had been suffering cancer since March but had told friends at the May Must Go protest in town on Saturday that he had received good news and thought his tumour was reducing. But he rapidly became unwell on Sunday and had emergency surgery, and died on Wednesday.
He was one of the founders of the Freedom Riders campaign to reinstate free train travel for the elderly and disabled. He had also campaigned for Save Our NHS, Stand Up to Racism, and against fracking as well as a host of other causes.
His friend of 40 years George Arthur, a fellow campaigner, said: “Whenever and wherever he saw injustice, Dave wanted to organise resistance against it."
Dave was secretary of Barnsley Trades Council and had been chairman for many years before that.
The trades council’s next meeting on Wednesday, 5.30pm, at the Civic, will be open to anyone who wants to pay tribute to Dave.
