“There’s more that unites us than divides us… now’s the time to show what that means”

Rioting in town on Saturday (August 3) has been branded as ‘dangerous extremism and a racist attack’ by an MP.

Lucy Powell, Labour MP for Manchester Central, visited several businesses impacted by the rioting in the city centre on Tuesday (August 6).

She was joined by police officers and Manchester council leader Bev Craig.

Manchester rioting

The city centre was blighted by violence on Saturday after a protest called ‘Enough is Enough’ descended into fighting in Piccadilly Gardens, and some shops on Moseley Street were looted.

By Tuesday morning, 28 people have now been arrested in connection with the disorder seen in Manchester and Bolton over the weekend, Chief Constable Stephen Watson said. A day earlier, Deputy Mayor Kate Green said the Piccadilly Gardens arrest total stood at nine.

“Manchester has faced hardships before, but we have always come together as a city,” Lucy Powell said in a statement yesterday. “The dangerous extremism and racist attacks we’ve seen recently go against everything Manchester stands for. We are a city defined by our resilience and our solidarity.”

“Enough is enough”

Previously, Bev Craig issued her own statement saying the council was backing the police’s move to increase patrols in the wake of the rioting. She said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe in their community and we will continue to work with colleagues at GMP to monitor local concerns and make sure that Manchester remains a welcoming and safe place. As such, there will be an increased police presence in our neighbourhoods, and we want to be clear that officers are there primarily to provide visibility and reassurance.

“There is no justification for criminal behaviour and the actions of the perpetrators undermine everything that Manchester stands for.

“We are proud to be a vibrant, tolerant and accepting place – and we know there is more that unites us than divides us. Now is the time we come together to show what this means.”