GMP thanks attendees for making Pride a fantastic event
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Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has thanked people for making Manchester’s Pride Festival a huge success this Bank Holiday weekend.
The event took place over four days from Friday 25 to Monday 29 August.
It was a busy weekend across the city as alongside Pride, Manchester United faced Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford in the Premier League and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds performed at Wythenshawe Park on Saturday.
Following a successful launch night in the Gay Village on Friday evening, focus for the remainder of the weekend shifted to the parade and three stages boasting a packed events programme. A candlelit vigil concluded the event on Monday evening.
Of the 36,000 attendees across the Pride weekend, a total of 19 arrests were made for a range of offences including the possession of cannabis, drunken disorderly and assaulting an emergency worker.
Chief Superintendent Phil Davies, GMP’s Event Commander for Manchester Pride, said: “It has been a weekend of positive partnership working, right through planning and the day of event. The planning paid off with minimal issues and crimes.
“There was a positive, friendly, celebratory atmosphere. The Village was busy and the majority of those attending the parade were good natured.
“There has been an excellent multi-agency partnership relationship and GMP undertook several positive interventions with festival-goers.
“The three main stages and events programme within the parade all finished within the 11pm curfew and there were no issues.
“The proactive operation was successful and numerous stop searches have had a positive effect on the overall operation.
“This festival is important to Greater Manchester and I am grateful to attendees for engaging positively with our officers.
“Finally, I want to thank our partners including Pride organisers, North West Ambulance Service, Transport for Greater Manchester and Manchester City Council who were involved in months of planning working together in making this fantastic event safe.”