Statements on the nationwide violence to Greater Manchester communities
Joint statement by Greater Manchester Leaders following protests and unrest across the country
“We thank the officers and staff of Greater Manchester Police for all the work they are doing to protect our city-region. They have faced an exceptionally challenging situation and met it with bravery and professionalism. We thank them for their swift action to keep our residents and businesses safe and the proactive approach they are taking.
“While some bad actors have stoked tension on social media, decent people across Greater Manchester have been working quietly on the ground to calm things down. We are grateful to them and to all the public servants who’ve been working around the clock.
“We are proud of the way Greater Manchester has once again pulled together to keep our communities safe. Only by continuing to work together can we defeat those who want to divide us. Those who broke the law will be pursued, and they will be brought to justice. As Greater Manchester Leaders, we speak in one voice when we say that there will never be a place for hatred or violence here.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Kate Green, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester
City Mayor Paul Dennett, Salford City Council
Cllr Bev Craig, Manchester City Council
Cllr Nick Peel, Bolton Council
Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, Bury Council
Cllr Arooj Shah, Oldham Council
Cllr Neil Emmott, Rochdale Council
Cllr Mark Hunter, Stockport Council
Cllr Gerald Cooney, Tameside Council
Cllr Tom Ross, Trafford Council
Cllr David Molyneux, Wigan Council
A message to communities from Greater Manchester Police
"We understand the uncertainty and worry that people are feeling about current tension, much of which is being fuelled by the widespread sharing of misinformation online which is sometimes being created with the purpose of creating fear and inciting intolerable hate.
Our advice to communities is to remain calm and to try to go about your every-day life. GMP continues to monitor the intelligence to ensure we can respond effectively to any incidents of disorder. And, if we believe there needs to be specific information about anything emerging we will tell people and offer advice.
We are heavily resourced, and we have specialist officers and staff who are working around the clock to tackle these issues and ensure our communities are supported. We are speaking to community leaders and elected representatives regularly to make sure they are appraised of all planned protests known to GMP. People living safely and peacefully, do not deserve to be frightened: we are here to protect you, and we will use all resources and capabilities to do so.
Our message is clear: there is no place for hate in Greater Manchester. If you come here to willingly participate in disorder and crime, we will be at your door, ensuring you answer for your crimes. We will police without fear or favour and use all resources and powers available to ensure those involved in this disgraceful behaviour are dealt with robustly.
This has been demonstrated with our relentless pursuit of offenders, many of whom have been arrested not only in Greater Manchester, but with the support of police colleagues across the UK and we have made crucial arrests in West Yorkshire and Lancashire.
To date, we have made 26 arrests for a variety of offences including assault, violent disorder, possession of weapons, and 20 have been charged. There is work to be done, and we will not relent until we have systematically located and dealt with all those responsible.
We ask that you remain vigilant. If you see something, or hear something, that does not feel right, report it to us so we can act.
All information and reports will be handled with the utmost severity and sensitivity. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, information can be shared anonymously with the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111. We don’t need to know who you are; we just need your information and concerns.
These are challenging times, but we are immensely proud to see the majority of our residents standing together and condemning this unacceptable disorder. Your unwavering support has not gone unnoticed."
