Manchester protests pass safely after busy day in city centre

A number of demonstrations passed by peacefully in the centre of Manchester this afternoon as officers worked with organisers to safely facilitate protest and minimise wider disruption.

We had a large number of dedicated resources deployed to the city on Saturday (2 August) as we worked with partners to put in place prepared plans to ensure the day passed with little incident.

Two large planned protests involving hundreds of people gathered at St. Peter’s Square in the early afternoon with no incidents of note.

Officers ensured protestors were able to safely exercise their right to peaceful process, while minimising disruption for the wider public and the transport network in one of the city’s busiest locations.

Earlier in the day, two arrests were promptly made during a confrontation at the start of the march to the city centre. 

Chief Superintendent Colette Rose, Gold commander for today’s police operation in the city, said: “Today was expected to be a really busy day in Manchester with plenty of planned protest action from different groups in the middle of the city. We’ve had extra resources in place to ensure people could peacefully protest and to minimise disruption for the wider public.

“Thanks to the work of our officers on the ground, and the plans we put in place alongside our partners, hundreds of people from different groups were able to gather in a safe manner with no trouble of note.

“Greater Manchester is a place where people should feel free to exercise their right to lawfully protest, while ensuring that those who live, work, or visit here can feel safe to go about their business and enjoy their