Officers have moved to reassure Mancunians their city centre is safe after shocking video emerged of a brawl on a busy shopping street. Footage shows punches being thrown and kicks lashed out among a group near to Market Street tram stop.
The video, which the Manchester Evening News has been working to verify, has been widely shared on social media throughout the weekend. A statement from Greater Manchester Police confirms it is aware of the incident, which is believed to have taken place at around 9pm on Friday, July 21.
GMP says officers were called out to the disturbance, but upon attendance, all parties quickly dispersed from the area. So far, a 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection to the incident.
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The grim scenes unfolded hours after hundreds of youths ran riot in the same area of Manchester city centre, following the last day of school before the summer holidays. It's understood the two incidents are not currently believed to be linked.
He said: "These shameful thugs must be caught and brought to justice. You've only got to look at the reactions of the people at the tram stop to see the fear and trepidation about what was happening in the centre of Manchester.
"We will not allow this behaviour to shame Manchester and we will work closely with GMP to bring these people to justice." Coun Karney is also calling for a meeting between the council, mayor Andy Burnham and GMP to discuss both this incident, and the scenes from earlier on Friday.
In the video on Twitter, screams can be heard as the violence breaks out. Bystanders appear shocked as the incident takes place, with multiple fights breaking out and someone attacked while on the ground.
In a statement released tonight (July 23), Temp. Superintendent for GMP’s Central Neighbourhood Policing Team, Muz Kernain, said: “We understand seeing footage of this nature may be worrying to those who live, work, or visit this busy area of Manchester. I want to provide reassurance to the public that officers did provide a swift response to the reports, and enquiries remain ongoing to try and identify anyone involved who were committing offences.
“It’s believed the incident involves individuals known to one another, not members of the public trying to go about their daily business. At this time, no victims have come forward to us.
“The City Centre policing team continually patrol the main shopping high street, providing a visible presence to deter crime and act swiftly to incidents that arise. Additionally, officers from our Transport Unit frequently run operations alongside partner agencies across the transport network, including at tram stops in the centre.
“When situations such as the one captured in this footage arise, we ask that members of the public don’t intervene or put themselves at risk, but instead call 999 so that we can dispatch officers to the area immediately. We would like to hear from anyone who believes themselves to be a victim or witness during this incident to come forward to us.
"We’re also keen to speak to anyone with additional mobile phone footage. You can contact GMP on 101, quoting log 3579 of July 21, 2023.
“We appreciate any piece of information, no matter how big or small you believe this to be, that might help us act against those involved. Manchester City Centre overwhelmingly remains a safe place to visit for all, with incidents of this nature not a common occurrence.”
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