concerns Rise Among Young Travellers Ahead of Manchester Christmas markets
MANCHESTER, England – Young members of the travelling community are expressing fear and anxiety ahead of the annual visit to Manchester’s Christmas markets, citing a lack of engagement with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and concerns about being unfairly targeted. Community leaders say families are hesitant to allow their children to attend the markets due to perceived inaction from police following issues at last year’s event.
Tommy Joyce and Paddy Doherty lead a protest raising thes concerns. Joyce stated, “I want them to work with the police rather than against the police. I want communities to integrate together and relax and be happy and enjoy each other. I hope the police will do their job this time better than they did last year. If there’s rowdiness, then round up that group and get them gone but don’t tar all of them with the same brush like happened last year.”
Joyce also expressed disappointment at the lack of dialog from senior GMP figures over the past year, adding, “A year later and they’re not interested until something happens and they’ll be all over it again. I’ve been pretty shocked at that to be honest and that’s one of the reasons families are scared to let their children to the markets, because there’s been no interaction with the police.”
GMP has responded, stating they have prioritized engagement with the travelling community in the last 12 months to prevent a repeat of last year’s issues. Assistant Chief Constable chris Sykes said,”we’ve recognised the importance of listening to the travelling community and engaging with them in the last 12 months to ensure that last year’s understandable distress and concern is not repeated.”
Sykes highlighted a collaborative approach with the Deputy Mayor’s office to improve local policing, including meetings with members of the traveller community as recently as Thursday to discuss policing plans for the busy weekend.
“Our focus is on dialogue, visibility and reassurance rather than enforcement, unless absolutely necessary, and we’ll be working with partners, business, and marketgoers to ensure everyone feels welcome and safe in our city,” Sykes added.
The Manchester Christmas markets, a popular annual event, draw large crowds and traditionally see visits from members of the travelling community. The situation underscores ongoing efforts to foster positive relationships between law enforcement and diverse communities within the city.
