Manchester riots: how the city fought back with love

On Tuesday 9th August 2011, following three days of disturbances in London, copycat riots broke out in Manchester and Salford, causing millions of pounds worth of damage.

It started on Market Street at around 6 pm. By nightfall, hundreds of violently motivated youths were out on the streets causing disturbances. Riot police were in running battles with groups of hooded hooligans, windows were smashed, and shops were looted and set on fire. Even a mini-digger was stolen to cause extra damage.

Councillor Pat Karney said the riots were “one of the darkest days in Manchester history.”

He wasn’t wrong. However, the epidemic also brought to the fore some of the city’s brightest and bravest qualities.

Out of chaos came creativity.

Reacting to the Manchester riots

The inaugural I Love MCR campaign was launched as a reaction to the riots and an antidote to anti-social behaviour. The movement quickly became an expression of solidarity with and love for Manchester.

A minority of thugs chose the dark side, but thousands of real Mancunians chose love…

It all started when city centre-based graphic designer Chris Greenhalgh witnessed a gang of “mindless idiots” break into an independent shop from the balcony of his Green Quarter flat.

“People were terrified and were steering clear of the city,” said Chris, who wanted to jump from his balcony and “beat them up like Batman,” but thought better of it. He opened his laptop instead.

“It was obvious to me that Manchester was missing a leader. The city was missing a strong identity or brand.

“There’s been a giant Tony Wilson-shaped hole in Manchester” since he died of a heart attack in 2007 (he was 57 years old).

“Manchester needed a new ambassador to positively turn people’s attention to the city with a new understanding.

“A clear visual identity can help a city to gel its image and give people something to rally behind. A simple logotype, colour-way or pattern can go a long way without travelling far.

“The best example of this is New York City.”

Building a city brand

During a trip to the US in 2009 to visit an old friend, Chris had been impressed by the iconic I Love NY symbol and how ubiquitous it had become.

The “I Love NY” logo was designed as an artistic answer to dark times in New York City during the seventies – lots of riots and robberies – and to promote tourism at a desperate time when nobody wanted to visit NYC. 

Crime was at an all-time high, and tourism was at an all-time low. In 1975, President Ford denied federal assistance to save New York City from bankruptcy, and 1977 saw a widespread blackout that led to rioting, looting and thousands of arrests. Tourists stayed away from New York due to the negative publicity that followed. So, the New York State Department for Economic Development tapped top Madison Avenue advertising firm Wells Rich Greene to create a tourist-friendly campaign to encourage visitors to The Big Apple.

The campaign worked. The simple symbol helped the city rise again and “I Love New York” became the official state slogan and city brand of New York.

Proof that a strong city brand has the power to positively change the conversation and express a strong sense of civic pride as Tony Wilson did.

If Manchester was going to reboot its economy it needed to emulate a campaign like I Love NY.

This inspired Manchester-born Chris to create the I Love MCR symbol, which would subsequently be similarly executed and become widespread.

“So I came up with an acronym for Manchester “MCR” and declared my love for my city,” continued Chris.

“The message was clear. Manchester has always had a unique sense of civic pride and defiance, and I felt it very strongly during the riots. People were saying, ‘I love my city,’ and ‘we are going to take our city back’, so I felt I needed to display this passion and use my experience to mobilise these defiant residents.”

Cleaning up

Out of the wreckage of the riots came a remarkable display of resilience and community spirit inspired by the I Love MCR signs. 

A small minority of thugs, criminals and opportunists had taken to the streets to riot and loot. But a much larger number of positive people mobilised by I Love MCR came together to show their pride in their city.

“Although Tony’s presence or personality can not be replicated (there’s only one Tony Wilson), social media was a new way to broadcast messages to large groups of people.”

Chris used his new I Love MCR social media accounts to start a movement that brought together thousands of people horrified by the riots. The campaign attracted an army of followers, and Facebook and Twitter users started to change their profile pictures to the I Love MCR logo. 

Inspired by the I Love MCR campaign, a ‘broom army’ of Manchester residents and businesses took to the streets to take part in a voluntary riot clean-up in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens and Arndale Centre.

Newcomers to the city and gripped by the I Love MCR campaign, two friends, Tom Ash and Tony Lord, hopped in their pick-up truck with a couple of shovels and brooms and went to the city centre to help with the clean-up. 

“People always think of community in small villages or small towns,” says Tom, co-founder of MCR Self Storage, “and they don’t really think about how a city with as large a population as Manchester can turn out in force the next day and help people they don’t even know. You look at that and think: ‘That is the city I want to be part of.”

The following day, many people were too scared to come into the city centre for fear that disturbances may continue.

“There was a catastrophic drop in confidence and trading activity in the city centre,” said Cllr Karney. “A lot of shop owners thought the hooligans and rioters were going to come back for a second and a third night, so that week was very important to get Manchester back working and get confidence back in the city.”

With a limited budget, Chris launched an I Love MCR website to bring all the buzzing activity together in one place and to give the campaign a global presence. It was used as a platform to publish all of the positive news that came out of the response to the riots and boost the local economy.

“My mission was to use the website and social channels to spread a bit of sunshine and happiness in the world,” said Chris, “or at least where I live and highlight just how much good stuff happens.

“I like the good news and Manchester has plenty of it.”

Support from influencers

Just 48 hours after the first night of disturbances and riot clean-ups, the I Love MCR movement gained recognition from major players such as Bruntwood and The Co-op. 

Manchester City Council and Marketing Manchester became a valuable driving force behind the campaign, and I Love MCR was granted free outdoor media space across the city. The sign was emblazoned on posters, on shop fronts, buses, lamp-posts, billboards and hoardings. 

Manchester Airport looped the logo above check-in desks and across screens inside the terminals. It was even projected onto tall buildings – most notably on the CIS Tower.

I Love MCR merchandise such as T-shirts and mugs was sold in Manchester Arndale and the Visitor Information Centre, and council leaders urged shops to cut prices as part of the drive to boost the city’s economy.

Coronation Street stars and celebrities and Manchester United and City players were pictured showing their support wearing I Love MCR T-shirts. Manchester Pride handed out I Love MCR flags during the Parade.

The movement united the residents and businesses of Greater Manchester, turning a negative into a positive, and becoming a symbol of the city’s resilience recognised not just by the city but nationwide.

“It is the latest response to the I Love MCR campaign that has united the Greater Manchester region against the rioters,” said The Guardian, “and produced a package of measures to boost the local economy.”

Inspired by the I Love MCR campaign and its association with the positive action taken by residents and businesses, The Lord Mayor of Manchester’s Charity Appeal Trust adopted its ‘look and feel’ and rebranded to become the beneficiary partner We Love MCR Charity, a charity that aims to improve the lives and life chances of the people of Manchester.

“The I Love MCR campaign makes us all feel rightly proud of our city and its people and shows the world what real Mancunians look like,” said Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council.

“The city has embraced it [the I Love MCR campaign] with enthusiasm, and there is no better way of demonstrating that spirit than getting out and enjoying everything the city centre has to offer – whether it’s shopping, culture or nightlife….”

What began in 2011 as a multimedia campaign became a vehicle for bringing together Mancunians – and anyone who loves Manchester – to celebrate the city and the things that make it such a special place.

What does I Love MCR do today?

Today, I Love MCR continues to unite people and champion a better future for the city by monetising an evolving website which now features an online directory and positive news platform. 

The fiercely independent organisation promotes Manchester businesses and charities with digital marketing, out-of-home media, and by creating unique activations across the region.

I Love Manchester now receives an average of eight million (8,000,000) impressions per month, inspiring the people and businesses of Greater Manchester to work together while also helping to raise money for Manchester-based charities and boost the local economy.

I Love MCR informs people about what makes the city region such a special place to live, work and do business by spreading positive news, and through partnerships with like-minded organisations such as CityCo and The Heart of Manchester Business Improvement District.

“The I Love MCR campaign was soon everywhere, weeks before the other cities hit by the riots even thought about it.” said Vaughan Allen, Chief Exec at CityCo Manchester and Manchester BID. “Amazing piece of Mancunian ingenuity.”

As a result, I Love MCR and its partners help build economic prosperity and create a dynamic image of the city region around the world.

To put it simply, I Love MCR shows the world that the people of Manchester are proud of their city. 

Show your love and support Manchester

The trademarked logo appears in souvenir shops and brochures across the city, some licensed, some not.

Show your support and love for the official Manchester brand by purchasing official I Love MCR merchandise, Manchester gifts and souvenirs from the official Manchester shop. All I Love MCR clothing and merch is 100% organic, Fair Trade and vegan material. What’s more, profit from the sale of all items is donated to Greater Manchester charities