Traveller communities have accused police of stopping them from attending Manchester Christmas markets, instead hording children onto trains and out of the city.
Young people from traveller communities across the country journeyed to Manchester last weekend to visit the city’s Christmas markets.
However, when they arrived at Manchester Victoria and Piccadilly railway stations they were turned away.
Senior officers at Greater Manchester Police had issued a Section 34 Dispersal Order under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, allowing them to turn away anyone they thought might be trouble.
Footage shared to social media showed officers escorting young people onto trains, with many of them unclear on where they were headed.
In the videos, one officer is heard shouting: ‘Get on the train!’, as a girl replies: ‘Stop pushing I’m going to fall.’
One girl, just 13, who had journeyed west from Doncaster to Manchester, was put on a train to Grimsby along with her brother.
Their mother told MEN the girl ‘was hysterical’ when she called her from the train bound for Grimsby.
The Traveller Movement, a charity dedicated tackling discrimination and equality towards Travellers, has called the footage ‘completely unacceptable’ and said it is considering taking legal action against GMP.
Representatives for the charity said in a statement: ‘Manchester Police has this afternoon allegedly blocked Romani Gypsies and Irish Traveller children from attending the Christmas markets.
‘This heavy-handed and discriminatory action has left children upset and distressed, with parents deeply concerned about the treatment that their children have faced.
‘We have been contacted by numerous parents and received video footage of Romani Gypsy and Irish Traveller children arriving into Manchester, and then being forced onto a different train and prevented from leaving the station by police.
‘These children were simply trying to enjoy the festivities like everyone else but instead have been unfairly targeted and marginalised.
‘This is a shocking case and it is completely unacceptable. We will not stand by while our communities are discriminated against and excluded in this way.
‘Manchester Police must be held accountable for their alleged actions and take immediate steps to end this blatant injustice.’
GMP’s Assistant chief constable, Rick Jackson, defended the force.
He said: ‘Our priority is always to protect public safety by preventing incidents of violence and disorder.
‘Due to intelligence of groups causing anti-social behaviour on trains on the way into Manchester and similar reports rising around the city centre, alongside increasing footfall, we issued a dispersal order. This included plans for officers to re-route arriving groups back home.
‘Shortly after, officers responded to several disturbances in the city centre and intervened in altercations between groups.
‘We understand there are feelings of mistreatment and confusion amongst groups of people for being turned away yesterday, and we are determined to address these concerns by working closely with the Mayor’s office to engage these communities in Manchester and further afield.’
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