Outrage as Children Allegedly Forcibly Removed from Manchester Christmas Market
A wave of anger has swept through communities in the United Kingdom following reports of police forcefully removing a group of children, some as young as 11, from Manchester’s Christmas Market.
The incident, captured on video and shared widely online, shows police officers allegedly escorting a group of children believed to be from the Traveller community onto trains bound for Grimsby, a coastal town in Lincolnshire. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon after authorities imposed a 48-hour dispersal order due to concerns of anti-social behavior on public transport.
Videos circulating online paint a disturbing picture. One clip shows an officer seemingly tackling a young boy to the ground as he pleads, "What have I done wrong?" Another video captures a youth voicing anxieties, saying, “Look at this. You’d think we’d killed someone.”
A particularly concerning video depicts an officer shouting, "Get on the train!" A young girl can be heard responding, "Stop pushing! I’m going to fall!"
Renowned television personality Paddy Doherty, known for his appearances on "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding," has vowed to lead a march in protest.
“We are human beings, not dog poo,” Doherty told the Daily Star, expressing his outrage. "It is absolutely appalling and sickening. Those kids have as much right to be there as everyone else.” Doherty plans to organize a “peaceful” protest in Manchester on Friday.
The Traveller Movement, a UK-based equality organization, condemned the police response as “shocking” and “completely unacceptable.”
Mary Kelly Foy, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gypsies, Travellers and Roma, has called for a thorough investigation. She asserts police actions were “heavy-handed” and raises questions about the necessity of removing the children from the city center. Foy emphasized:
“On Saturday, there were several incidents of Greater Manchester police violently preventing young Romany Gypsy and Irish Traveller children from accessing Manchester city center for
Christmas shopping. Video footage depicted a group of Romany Gypsy and Irish Traveller children being dangerously forced on to a train out of the city to stations unknown.”
Foy highlights the disproportionately harsh treatment of the children, stating, "One child being pushed to the point of nearly falling on to the track.” She questioned reasoning behind the police strategy.
“Footage also shows a young man being forcibly restrained on the ground and arrested," Foy added.
Greater Manchester deputy mayor Kate Green acknowledged the need to address anti-social behavior, stating: "We will not tolerate lawlessness and anti-social behaviour. But I want to reassure the community that I expect the police to treat everyone fairly and with respect." She pledged to engage with community leaders regarding the incident.
Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson defended the police action, claiming officers acted on "intelligence" about potential disruption on public transport.
"Our priority is always to protect public safety by preventing incidents of violence and disorder…We understand there are feelings of mistreatment and confusion amongst groups of people for being turned away,” Jackson stated.
Thomas Jefferson once declared, "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take everything you have."
While the hope remains that authorities will thoroughly investigate the incident and determine if any policies need to be revised for future situations, the images circulating online are compelling evidence of a deeply concerning police response and have sparked urgent calls for greater understanding and fairness in how public services are delivered.
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