The chaos in the city centre that led to four police officers being attacked last night started after knives were thrown over a fence at a birthday party, the M.E.N. has learned.
A number of fights broke out across St Peter’s Square and Piccadilly Gardens on Monday (July 24) following a party being shut down on Deansgate, GMP said. Four teenagers - aged between 16 and 18 - were arrested on suspicion of affray, a spokesperson for the force added.
Now, the Manchester Evening News can reveal that the birthday party took place at Rebellion, an alternative music venue and club, with management saying the clientele was ‘not what we expected’. They added that the decision to shut down the event was done on police advice.
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Police were called by Rebellion staff after security guards found ‘weaponry’ was ‘thrown’ over its ‘beer garden fence’, a spokesperson said. In a statement, they added: “[The event] was booked by the parents and it looked kosher to us.
“On the night, 200-odd under-18s came in and it was not what we expected, but we decided to roll with it — everyone was ID’d, and no alcohol was served. One of our security noticed something was going on in the beer garden.
“He found out that weaponry had been thrown over the fence. They called the police and they suggested we call the event to an end. We waited until [enough] people dispersed [from the venue] so the police could deal with [those remaining inside the venue].
“This morning police have looked at CCTV and licensing have been in touch. It’s a horrible thing. We did everything we were asked to do, and hopefully we will come out of this.”
It is understood that the 'weaponry' was a knife. This morning, senior councillor Pat Karney confirmed that Manchester City Council, police and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham were meeting today (July 25) to co-ordinate a response to the disorder.
“These people, no matter what age, are letting Manchester down and they should think about the damage they are doing to our city,” Coun Karney said. “We will not stand for this summer madness, and the council and police are determined to stop it.”
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Monday’s carnage followed mayhem on Friday afternoon (July 21), where hundreds of school children descended on Piccadilly Gardens to celebrate the end of the school year.
However, it turned ugly as cops were pelted with eggs and milkshakes, and several arrests were made.
In a statement last night, GMP said: “At approximately 7pm last night, Monday 25 July 2023, police received a call to reports of up to approximately 200 youths causing a disturbance in and around the city centre.
"They had been attending a party at a bar on Deansgate Locks, when it was shut down due to the threat posed by youths from within the bar and outside. The youths made their way towards the city centre with sporadic fights and anti-social behaviour taking place.
"Most of them ended up in Piccadilly Gardens, where officers attempted to disperse and contain the group. A Section 35 order was implemented by GMP at 8.40pm, which prevents individuals from returning to the City Centre for a period of up to 48 hours.
"If not adhered to, individuals can be arrested for breaching the order. Four people, aged between 16 - 18 years old, were arrested on suspicion of affray and will continue to be interviewed this morning. Four police officers were assaulted during the affray."
