What happened at yesterday’s anti-lockdown rally in Manchester?
Anti-lockdown, anti-mask, anti-vaccine and anti-establishment chants were voiced throughout - with the prevailing narrative being a "desire for freedom".
Hundreds gathered in Piccadilly Gardens on Sunday afternoon to protest the national lockdown in England.
The crowd had congregated to voice their discontent over the Government’s decision to reimpose social restrictions – with attendees suggesting the impacts of the virus were overstated and therefore required no intervention.
Anti-lockdown, anti-mask, anti-vaccine and anti-establishment chants were voiced throughout – with the prevailing narrative being a “desire for freedom”.
One woman holding a sign that read ‘I need to tell my grandchildren I did not stay silent’ said: “There is a bigger agenda, the end game, who knows we are all guessing but it is coming.
“It is coming with the track and trace, next it will be the vaccine obviously, we will be like robots in the next ten years.”
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Another man compared the government to “Nazism”.
Many protestors claimed to have been defying government rules since the start of the pandemic with no consequences.
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No-one that I spoke to claimed that the virus did not exist, but rather suggested it was no different to a common viral infection, and that the country should not shut down because of it.
Many protestors expressed frustration with authorities (refusing to announce the final destination of their march as they believed the police would be waiting for them) and also pointed fingers of blame in the direction of the ‘sheep’ following the lockdown rules.
Anyone wearing masks at the rally were urged to “remove them or leave.”
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Greater Manchester Police officially issued a dispersal order at 6.45pm – making gathering in the area a criminal offence.
The statement read: “GMP would also like to use this opportunity to remind members of the public that under the national covid-19 restrictions, gatherings of more than two people are unlawful.
“We encourage people to comply with these restrictions, as we have throughout this public health crisis, to help keep themselves and others safe.”
Councillor Pat Karney called the gathering “disgraceful.”
Police also said that several officers were injured and have since pledged to fine the organiser of the protest £10,000.
News
Man had taken ‘at least 20 lines of cocaine’ before killing toddler in tram-van crash
Daisy Jackson
A man has pleaded guilty to killing toddler Louisa (Lulu) Palmisano by dangerous driving, following a horror crash between a tram and a van in February.
The court heard that Rawal Rehman, 36, had taken ‘at least 20 lines of cocaine’ in a seven-hour window leading up to the crash.
On 22 February 2025, shortly before 10am, Rehman’s Mercedes sprinter van failed to stop at a Stop sign and collided with a tram.
His vehicle then mounted the pavement, striking three-year-old Lulu and both her parents who were walking hand-in-hand down Booth Street.
Tragically, Lulu – who her family described as the ‘sweetest, kindest, and most generous little girl’ – suffered fatal injuries.
Several passersby rushed to assist the family, including a junior doctor.
She was taken to hospital but died soon after of her injuries, which included a major head trauma.
Rehman, meanwhile, abandoned his van and left the scene in a taxi, later identified by documents in his vehicle and arrested two days later. He claimed to have panicked when questioned as to why he fled the scene.
He pleaded guilty at Manchester crown court on Tuesday 22 April to causing the death of Lulu by dangerous driving.
The scene of the tram-van crash that killed Lulu. Credit: The Manc Group
Prosecutor Rachel Shenton told Manchester Crown Court that he had visited two massage parlours in the city hours before and that he had taken ‘at least 20 lines of cocaine’ in seven hours.
Abbie Clarke, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “This was a devastating incident which shocked our community, and our thoughts go out to Lulu’s family who must bear this unimaginable loss.
“Rawal Rehman ignored the stop signs and tram warning signs when he drove straight into the path of an oncoming tram, and it is clear his driving fell far short of what is expected of a competent and careful driver.
“Rehman failed to take responsibility for his actions. He fled the scene in a taxi and denied that he drove dangerously in interview, only accepting responsibility on his third hearing before the court.
“He must now face the consequences for his role in this wholly avoidable tragedy.”
Social media beauty spots and selfies blamed for record rise in mountain rescue callouts
Daisy Jackson
There’s been a record rise in the number of young people needing help from mountain rescue teams – and social media has been blamed for luring unprepared people into potentially dangerous situations.
As well as these viral beauty spots – such as Mam Tor – the rise in call-outs has also been attributed to ‘poor-quality map apps’ which can stop functioning when in areas with poor phone service.
According to an exclusive report in The Guardian, it’s now tourists under the age of 24 who are most likely to need mountain rescue’s assistance while out walking.
The data provided by Ordnance Survey said that the number of call-outs from this age group has almost doubled between 2019 and 2024.
Overall rescues increased by 24% over a similar period.
A spokesman for Mountain Rescue said that young people are drawn to places like the Lake District after seeing images on social media, but are often not dressed or equipped properly for the conditions.
Nick Giles said people are often ‘too reliant on mobile phones’ and unprepared for the changes in weather and terrain that come with hiking.
Mike Park, chief executive of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, told The Guardian: “We know from incident reports that more and more people are tempted into risky locations by Instagram posts and the navigation apps being used aren’t always suitable for an outdoor environment.
“Add to that a tendency to follow popular routes online without knowing the hazards and context, and it’s not surprising that those likely to be relying most on their phones are the ones getting into difficulties.”
Before you head out on any hike or walk, you should make sure you’re prepared and equipped – see Mountain Rescue’s tips HERE.
Gemma Bradley -
9th November 2020 
