News
Police praise ‘great defiance to disorder’ by Greater Manchester’s communities amid ongoing protests
GMP says it's keen to ensure that anyone participating in criminal activity "faces the full force of the law".
Emily Sergeant -
9th August 2024 
Police have praised the “great defiance to disorder” shown by Greater Manchester’s communities amid ongoing protests.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has issued another statement amid widespread far-right protests and counter-demonstrations taking place in towns and cities throughout the UK – predominantly here in the north – following the devastating killing of three young girls and the injuring of several others during a knife attack in the Merseyside seaside town of Southport at the end of last month.
Hundreds of people have been detained and arrested by police nationwide over the last few days following the riots – including 47 people here in Greater Manchester.
A Bolton man, 18, has also become the first to be jailed for his involvement in the protests.
As fresh protest rumours began to swirl, with police forces nationwide informing the public ahead of Wednesday evening (7 August) that they were aware of more than 100 potential planned demonstrations across the country, GMP issued a statement to the Greater Manchester public on the “current tension” and explaining the action it was taking.
The police force stressed that “there is no place for hate in Greater Manchester” as it prepped for potential demonstrations to take place on Wednesday evening.
But, after much of those rumours materialised into nothing, GMP decided to address the local public once again with a fresh statement thanking and praising those who showed up to “express their views” in a “peaceful” and “lawful” manner.
The statement reads: “Policing operations for protests or disorder are often complex, and the eyes of the country are on us.
“We would like to thank residents across Greater Manchester who attended protests last night and expressed their views in a peaceful and lawful manner.
“Many have shown great defiance to disorder and intolerable behaviour, and we would like to reiterate our gratitude to the majority of our law-abiding residents, businesses, and visitors, for their support and determination to keep our communities safe.
“As a result of a well-resourced and proactive policing operation, we were able to ensure those intent on committing harm were swiftly detained with minimal disruption to the wider public.”
GMP insisted that while Wednesday evening “passed without significant disorder”, its officers “are not complacent” and will continue to take a proactive approach to ensure that anyone participating in criminal activity “faces the full force of the law”.
#UPDATE | We would like to thank residents across GM who attended protests last night and expressed their views in a peaceful manner.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) August 8, 2024
In total, we made seven arrests overnight, all of whom were wanted in connection with disorder from the weekend.
More: https://t.co/B82fGUY5dI pic.twitter.com/xcyOjwduGO
Read more:
- GMP issues statement on ‘current tension’ as rumours of more protests across the region swirl
- Bolton man, 18, becomes first person jailed following widespread UK protests
- Government condemns ‘far-right thuggery’ following UK-wide protests over the weekend
The statement continues: “We recognise that this is an uncertain time for all our communities, and we remain committed to working with you all to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.
“Whilst we have seen an increase in misinformation being circulated online, attempting to fuel divisions, we are proud that our communities are standing against this and working with our officers on the ground.
“So many of our dedicated officers, staff and emergency service colleagues have deployed across the force, day and night, to make sure our communities are safe, and feel safe to have their voices heard.
“We will continue to engage with people across Greater Manchester in the coming days and weeks, if you have any concerns, please speak to us.”
Featured Images – GMP
