Traveller Charity Expresses Outrage Over Police Dispersal Order

A charity has stated that police treated Romani Gypsy and Irish Traveller children like “football hooligans on a rampage” during a “shocking” dispersal order. The Traveller Movement has engaged legal counsel to submit a formal complaint against Greater Manchester Police. This action follows an incident on 23 November where groups of young people were prevented from accessing the city’s Christmas markets. According to Chief Executive Officer Yvonne MacNamara, officers subjected the children involved to treatment that left them “humiliated, manhandled and denied basic respect and safeguarding.” A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police indicated that the force “understands the concerns” raised by the charity and conveyed “regret at the distress and upset these events had caused.” The police force had previously held meetings with representatives from the Romani Gypsy and Irish Traveller community, including The Traveller Movement, to discuss these issues. She described the forum as “open and constructive,” and added that GMP “looks forward to working more closely with community representatives going forwards.” The dispersal order was implemented on a busy day within the city centre, following the force’s statement that it had received “intelligence” regarding anti-social behaviour occurring on trains. Visual recordings surfaced that seemed to depict children being directed back onto trains at Manchester Victoria. In its correspondence to the police, the Traveller Movement stated that numerous young individuals from various parts of the north-west of England had traveled independently to the city to visit the Christmas markets. The organization further asserted that the group’s intention was not to cause disturbance, and it included adults who were present to accompany the children and oversee their conduct. Greater Manchester deputy mayor Kate Green concluded that the order prompted concerns about discrimination and might have been prevented. The charity, which advocates for Romani Gypsy, Roma, and Irish Traveller communities, has dispatched a formal letter of complaint to GMP through the law firm Leigh Day. The letter contends that the force’s conduct violated police obligations concerning excessive force/battery, false imprisonment, negligence, and safeguarding. Additionally, the group asserts that the force might have infringed upon equalities and human rights legislation. The Traveller Movement stated that children, some as young as 10, were “unlawfully targeted, marginalised and racially profiled.” The group further alleges that the young individuals were subjected to derogatory names, “subjected to physical aggression,” separated from their families, and placed on trains bound for undisclosed destinations. Following a review of the incident, the deputy mayor determined that the force could have proactively engaged with these communities to prevent the enforcement of the order. Ryan Bradshaw, a lawyer with Leigh Day, commented that the alleged actions of GMP were “deeply troubling.” He added, “Young children on their way to the Christmas markets appear to have been treated like football hooligans on a rampage.”