Tram lines blocked as protests continue over Manchester airport police incident

There has been a second night of protests over the man kicked and stamped on by a police officer at Manchester Airport.

Roads and tram lines were blocked in Manchester city centre on Thursday night by people angry at the incident which has led to a Greater Manchester Police officer being suspended.

Videos online appeared to show a handful of demonstrators with their faces covered, throwing eggs at Rochdale police station on Thursday night.

The family of the man are particularly shocked by what happened because some of their family members are police officers, newly elected Rochdale Labour MP Paul Waugh said after speaking to them.

The footage, filmed at Manchester Airport’s terminal two on Tuesday, appeared to show an officer kick and stamp on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor, with a woman kneeling beside him.

The video also appeared to show the officer strike a second man.

Police said three of their officers had been assaulted, including a female police constable who suffered a broken nose, and four men were arrested.

Posting on social media, on Thursday night Mr Waugh said “it is clear they (the family) are deeply traumatised by what happened”.

The family, who are his constituents, have two priorities, he said, the health and wellbeing of those involved including their mother, and the need for justice to be done.

Mr Waugh said: “This is a hardworking Rochdale family, some of whose members are police officers themselves and are therefore particularly shocked at what they have witnessed.”

He went on: “The family also want me to make it crystal clear that they have no political agenda, do not condone political violence and do not want to take part in any protests.

“They wanted me to appeal for calm and I hope that appeal is heeded.

“While there is clearly deep concern about this incident, there is also a vital need not to let extremists of any kind hijack these events for their own ends.”

On Thursday evening, a few hundred protesters gathered outside the office of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as part of a Stand Up To Racism demonstration, chanting slogans such as “No justice, no peace, no racist police”.

Placards included “black lives matter”, “serve and protect means GMB will stamp on our heads” and GMP is “racist”.

They then marched through the city blocking roads and tram lines.

Protester Nahella Ashraf, co-chairwoman of Greater Manchester Stand up to Racism, said she was “horrified by the level of police brutality” and called for all the police officers involved to be suspended.

Fellow protester Shah Rahman, from Oldham, claimed communities were “very scared when police have no limits”.

Crowds had gathered also outside Rochdale police station late on Wednesday, some chanting “GMP shame on you”.

Mr Burnham, who met with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss the incident, also asked for calm, saying the “right and proper steps” had been taken.

Speaking to media outside Rochdale police station, the family’s solicitor Akhmed Yakoob said: “The family are OK but they are traumatised.”

He said the condition of one of the men had worsened and said a CT scan revealed a “cyst on his brain”.

The regional director of police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), Catherine Bates, promised a “thorough and robust” independent investigation.

Sourse: breakingnews.ie