Hundreds gather outside police station as anger rises over video of officer kicking man in head at Manchester Airport
‘We’re not going to put up with this anymore’
Hundreds of people gathered outside Greater Manchester divisional police headquarters in Rochdale late on Wednesday evening to protest after a video emerged showing a police officer kicking a man in the head at Manchester Airport.
Protesters, some wearing face coverings and chanting "GMP shame on you", were pictured outside the building, while others present let off fireworks. A witness estimated there were around 200 people in attendance.
One of the demonstrators told the crowd: “We’re no longer going to settle for this police brutality. We put our trust in the police and what do they do instead they inflict violence upon us when we surrender to them. This is supposed to be the police, instead they are gangsters in uniforms. We’re not going to put up with this anymore.”
A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer has been 'removed from operational duties' after the video emerged and the force has also referred itself to the watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), acknowledging the footage captures a 'truly shocking event' that they 'understand creates alarm.'
GMP previously said they were called at 8:25pm on Tuesday evening to an 'altercation' between members of the public in Terminal Two, before the officers were subjected to a 'violent assault' while trying to make an arrest.
Four men were arrested at the scene on suspicion of affray and assault of emergency service workers. Police said a female officer was left with a broken nose and that the other officers were hospitalised. The force also said that there was a risk of the armed officers' 'firearms being taken'.
Earlier this evening (July 24) false reports emerged on social media that former Rochale MP George Galloway would be speaking at a protest in the town along with Akhmed Yakoob who recently ran as an independent Pro-Gaza candidate for the West Midlands mayoral election.
Mr Galloway dismissed the reports as ‘false information’, posting on X: “I am NOT in Rochdale and NOT speaking at a protest this evening. And neither is @Akhmedyakoob1. Someone is spreading false information.”
In a new statement on the incident this evening GMP's Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry said: “We know that a film of an incident at Manchester Airport that is circulating widely shows an event that is truly shocking, and that people are rightly extremely concerned about.
“The use of such force in an arrest is an unusual occurrence and one that we understand creates alarm. In advance of what is shown in the footage available, we were called to reports of an assault at Terminal 2, Manchester Airport at 8.25pm on Tuesday 23 July.
"The alleged suspect was seen on CCTV at a ticket machine in the car park and officers attended the location to arrest him. During our response, three officers were assaulted. One female officer suffered a broken nose and the other officers were forced to the ground and suffered injuries which required hospital treatment.
“One male officer has been removed from operational duties and we are making a voluntary referral of our policing response to the Independent Office of Police Conduct.
“Two men have been arrested on suspicion of assault, assault of emergency worker, affray, and obstructing police. Two other men have also been arrested on suspicion of affray and assault of an emergency worker."