Latest news with #TravellerMovement
ITV News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Travellers demand watchdog investigate 'racism' at Greater Manchester Police
Traveller and gypsy communities have asked the police watchdog to investigate what they call 'institutional racism' at Greater Manchester Police'. Traveller Movement accuses the force of being too heavy handed when officers removed Romani, Gypsy, Roma and Irish traveller children during a dispersal order in November 2024 at the city centre Christmas Markets. It says, "Video footage circulated online showed distressed children being forced through Manchester Victoria train station after being met by a large number of GMP officers. Children were seen being forced on to trains heading to unknown destinations, separated from family members, and subjected to physical aggression, including shoving, hair-pulling, and handcuffing." The charity says the dispersal order exceeded police powers and was disproportionate. It says officers unlawfully targeted and removed children from the community, and disparaging terms like 'pikeys' were used. It wants the Independent Office for Police Conduct to investigate and is demanding an inquiry an apology from Greater Manchester Police as well as better training for officers. GMP said the force's priority was "always to protect public safety by preventing incidents of violence and disorder". Police put in place a 48-hour dispersal notice from about 12:15 GMT on Saturday after reports of anti-social behaviour on trains and in the city. Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson said: 'Any use of police powers is not taken lightly and they are used with a great deal of consideration. Our ultimate aim is always to prevent crime and protect the public. "I have met with representatives of the Romani Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller community and we now have a GRT representative on our Independent Advisory Group so their views can be represented. 'During the meeting, we expressed our regret at the distress and upset the events of 23 November caused. 'We continue to reflect and review how we police similar situations in the future and are working with all relevant partners to ensure we are providing the best possible service to all those who live, work and visit our city. 'We are already planning for how we police the Christmas markets later this year where we can ensure all who plan to come to Manchester safely can do so, especially families and young people."
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Traveller charity urges police watchdog review
A police watchdog has been urged to investigate an incident in which officers were accused of being "heavy-handed" after large groups of Romani Gypsy and Irish Traveller youths were stopped from attending a city's Christmas market The groups were met by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at Manchester Victoria on 23 November last year and allegedly "forced" back on to the trains they arrived on. The Traveller Movement said the force's response to its complaint about the incident was "deeply flawed" and it had now asked the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to review the case. Both GMP and the IOPC have been contacted for comment. GMP previously said a dispersal order was put in place on the day in response to "intelligence" about anti-social behaviour on trains and in the city. The Traveller Movement alleged children were racially profiled by officers and excessive force was used. GMP met representatives from Romani Gypsy and Irish Traveller communities in the aftermath of the incident and expressed "regret at the distress and upset these events had caused". Greater Manchester deputy mayor Kate Green previously found the dispersal order raised concerns about discrimination and could have been avoided. Ryan Bradshaw, from law firm Leigh Day which represents the Traveller Movement, said: "Our clients are hopeful that an IOPC review will expose what they believe is the clear institutional racism that led to this appalling incident." It is alleged by the charity that children were forced onto trains heading to unknown destinations, separated from their families and subjected to physical abuse and disparaging remarks about their ethnicity. Pauline Melvin-Anderson OBE from the Traveller Movement said the police response to the charity's complaint was "deeply flawed and lacks transparency". She said it was a "blatant attempt to justify the unjustifiable". "Our children were humiliated, physically harmed, and placed in vulnerable situations because of discriminatory assumptions about their communities," she said. "We will not rest until a full inquiry takes place." The Traveller Movement has called for the IOPC to step in and investigate and for GMP to apologise and disclose the "intelligence" it relied upon to justify its actions. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Dispersal order 'could have been avoided' - deputy mayor Traveller charity angry at police dispersal order Police accused of 'heavy-handed' dispersal response The Traveller Movement
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Police watchdog urged to probe 'heavy-handed' dispersal response
A police watchdog has been urged to investigate an incident in which officers were accused of being "heavy-handed" after large groups of Romani Gypsy and Irish Traveller youths were stopped from attending a city's Christmas marketThe groups were met by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at Manchester Victoria on 23 November last year and allegedly "forced" back on to the trains they arrived Traveller Movement said the force's response to its complaint about the incident was "deeply flawed" and it had now asked the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to review the GMP and the IOPC have been contacted for comment. GMP previously said a dispersal order was put in place on the day in response to "intelligence" about anti-social behaviour on trains and in the city. The Traveller Movement alleged children were racially profiled by officers and excessive force was met representatives from Romani Gypsy and Irish Traveller communities in the aftermath of the incident and expressed "regret at the distress and upset these events had caused". 'Unjustifiable' Greater Manchester deputy mayor Kate Green previously found the dispersal order raised concerns about discrimination and could have been Bradshaw, from law firm Leigh Day which represents the Traveller Movement, said: "Our clients are hopeful that an IOPC review will expose what they believe is the clear institutional racism that led to this appalling incident."It is alleged by the charity that children were forced onto trains heading to unknown destinations, separated from their families and subjected to physical abuse and disparaging remarks about their ethnicity. Pauline Melvin-Anderson OBE from the Traveller Movement said the police response to the charity's complaint was "deeply flawed and lacks transparency".She said it was a "blatant attempt to justify the unjustifiable"."Our children were humiliated, physically harmed, and placed in vulnerable situations because of discriminatory assumptions about their communities," she said. "We will not rest until a full inquiry takes place." The Traveller Movement has called for the IOPC to step in and investigate and for GMP to apologise and disclose the "intelligence" it relied upon to justify its actions. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GMP accused of 'fuelling harmful racist stereotypes' as new details emerge of decision to turn Traveller kids away from Christmas markets
Greater Manchester Police have been accused of 'fuelling harmful racist stereotypes' as new details of the controversial decision to turn Traveller children away from the Christmas markets have emerged. In disturbing scenes, dozens of young people from Traveller communities up and down the country - many of them children - were prevented from entering the markets and herded onto trains by police at Victoria railway station on Saturday, November 23. After footage of the incidents was shared online GMP were accused of 'heavy-handed and discriminatory action'. Now documents released by GMP following a Freedom of Information request have revealed the force authorised two 48-hour dispersal orders amid concerns about 'multiple groups of Traveller youths... committing anti-social behaviour' on trains heading towards the city centre. The orders say police 'typically' see a 'significant number' of Traveller youths 'involved in anti-social behaviour and crime' while visiting the markets. READ MORE: 'We pawned our engagement ring so we didn't have to go home' READ MORE: 'Was he scared? I don't know because I wasn't there': Albie's mum speaks for the first time And they also make reference to 'grabbing', a so-called courtship ritual which campaigners say is a 'racist misconception'. Following the release, leading figures in the Travelling community have accused GMP of racism, stereotyping and discrimination. Yvonne MacNamara, CEO of the Traveller Movement, said: "These documents reveal that the appalling treatment of Romani Gypsies and Irish Traveller children in this incident was preplanned and fuelled by harmful racist stereotypes. We will be raising this with the GMP, the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the mayor's office as a matter of urgency." The two dispersal orders were authorised at 12.13pm on November 23. One covered the city centre and another, almost identically worded order, covered the whole of Greater Manchester. It was likely the largest dispersal order GMP has issued and gave police the power to remove anyone considered to be causing anti-social behaviour from the entire county. The orders refer to 'a large group of youths/young adults from the Traveller community' attending the markets for a 'social gathering'. It then lists some of the incidents police say they have dealt with in previous years, including 'grabbing', disrupting roads and tram tracks, hate crime, 'swarming' police officers and intimidation of market staff and members of the public. On the morning of November 23 the orders say police received reports of 'multiple groups' of 50-70 Traveller youths coming to Manchester on trains from Doncaster, York and Darlington. British Transport Police described the groups as drinking and being involved in anti-social behaviour. With the city centre already busy due to the markets and with football matches taking place at Rochdale, Bolton and Manchester City, police said 'additional dynamics and risks' would be created by 'having a large group of Traveller youths causing issues in the city centre'. The order adds: "I have briefed... that dispersal powers should not be used indiscriminately against Traveller youths in general, as they have a right to come to Manchester as other youths do from different communities. Dispersal should only be focused on those committing or we suspect will commit ASB that justifies excluding them from either the city centre, or Greater Manchester. "Where groups are identified at railway stations and subject to dispersal powers, [the operational commander] is empowered... to consider option to direct to leave on rail network." Head Gypsy Billy Welch, who had more than 20 young relatives including two young grandchildren caught up in the trouble, said the wording of the orders 'exposes GMP's intolerance'. He added: "This is a confession that they were targeting Gypsies and Travellers, and not just in the city centre but across the whole of Greater Manchester." Ruth Ehrlich, from civil rights organisation Liberty, said: "It is completely wrong for Greater Manchester Police to have issued such broad and excessive bans against one particular community based on stereotyping and discrimination. "The police should be meaningfully engaging with and talking to all communities, not continuing to discriminate against Romani Gypsies and Irish Travellers." Other documents released by GMP as part of the FOI request reveal that 32 people, of which 25 were under the age of 21, were 'affected' by the orders. And as of December 2, the force had received 57 complaints, mainly about the treatment of people in train stations. But, the GMP response notes, 42 of those complaints were made by people who weren't present and are 'therefore ineligible'. The incident prompted Travellers to march through Manchester city centre in protest, led by Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and Celebrity Big Brother star Paddy Doherty and Tommy Joyce, a well-known face among Greater Manchester's Traveller communities. GMP later apologised for any 'distress and humiliation caused'. In December a mayoral review found there were 'lessons to be learned' in the force's handling of the incident. Responding to to the latest criticism, Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson said: "Any use of police powers is not taken lightly and they are used with a great deal of consideration. Our ultimate aim is always to prevent crime and protect the public. "While it is always difficult to know the full extent to which our decisions prevent crime and disruption, we understand that parts of the Roma Gypsy and Irish Traveller community felt distress, concern and humiliation as a result of our actions that day. This is deeply regrettable. "Since the events of November, we have made positive strides to engage with the community and to avoid anything like this happening again. I look forward to meeting representatives again in Manchester later this month. "We are already planning for how we police the Christmas markets later this year where we can ensure all who plan to come to Manchester safely can do so, especially families and young people. We also continue to reflect on how we police similar situations like this in future and are working with all relevant partners to ensure we are providing the best possible service to all those who live, work and visit our city." Deputy Mayor Kate Gree, whose 'safer and stronger communities' remit involve supporting victims of crime, said: "Since this understandably distressing incident we have been taking part in proactive engagement with the communities affected. I am continuing to meet these communities and it is an absolute priority for us and GMP to make sure nothing like this happens again in the future."
