Distressing footage of Gypsy and Traveller children being forcibly herded onto a train in Manchester has emerged over the weekend. Drive 2 Survive is campaigning for Greater Manchester Police to be held accountable.
Those who thought the dark days of uniformed officers herding Gypsies into train carriages were over have been shocked to see footage over the weekend of Gypsy and Traveller youth being forced onto train carriages. The brave and restrained youth remained calm despite the provocation and have captured the incident on their phones. Drive 2 Survive has contacted Greater Manchester Police's Chief Constable to demand some answers. See for yourself how these young people were treated.
If your children were directly affected by this please get in touch with us on 07966 786242 or bowersjake02@gmail.com so that we can independently investigate what happened and hold the police accountable.
We have today sent the following to Greater Manchester Police
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Chief Constable
Greater Manchester Police
Chief Officer
British Transport Police, Greater Manchester Division
Dear Chief Constable and Chief Officer,
Re: Concerns Regarding the Treatment of Gypsy and Traveller Youth at Manchester, Frodsham, and Chester Train Stations
I am writing to formally express concern over recent incidents at Manchester, Frodsham, and Chester train stations, where it appears a decision was made to prevent groups of Gypsy and Traveller youth from entering Manchester City Centre. Reports suggest that this action may have involved racial profiling, discrimination, and stereotyping of these young people, raising serious questions about the processes and principles underpinning such a decision.
Firstly, I would like to understand the decision-making process that led to these actions. What criteria were used to identify these individuals as potential risks? Were any alternative measures considered before resorting to exclusion? It is critical to ensure that such actions are based on objective evidence, not assumptions tied to ethnic or cultural background.
The reports raise serious concerns about racial profiling. If decisions were based on the ethnicity of the young people involved, this is not only deeply troubling but potentially unlawful under the Equality Act 2010. Ethnic Gypsies and Travellers are protected under the Act, and targeting them based on their ethnicity perpetuates the stigma and discrimination that these communities already face.
I must also ask whether similar decisions would be made if the group in question came from another protected cohort under the Equality Act, such as individuals from a specific religious background or a particular gender identity. Would such a sweeping exclusionary decision be deemed acceptable in those cases?
The stigma and stereotyping of Gypsy and Traveller communities are well-documented, and actions like this reinforce harmful narratives, alienating young people who already face significant barriers to inclusion. Public bodies, including police forces, have a duty under the Public Sector Equality Duty to foster good relations between different communities and to eliminate unlawful discrimination. The incidents in question appear to undermine these obligations.
I urge you to review the decision-making process, provide transparency around what occurred, and take steps to ensure that incidents like this are not repeated. I also request that you share the policies and guidance used by your officers in managing such situations, including how they are trained to interact with Gypsy and Traveller communities.
Finally, I would like to know what measures will be taken to ensure that Gypsy and Traveller young people are not unfairly targeted or excluded in the future and that any necessary steps are taken to rebuild trust with these communities.
I look forward to your prompt response to these concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Sherrie Smith, Co-chair, Drive 2 Survive
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In Manchester’s cold November air, by Claire Rice
In Manchester’s cold November air,
Families gathered, unaware of despair.
Romany children, young faces bright,
Denied the joy of the Christmas light.
The market’s cheer, the festive sound,
Was drowned by orders stern and bound.
“Get on the train,” the officers said,
As fear and confusion quickly spread.
A young woman shoved, nearly lost her stand,
Caught by the grip of a stranger’s hand.
A teenager pleads, “This isn’t my way!”
But protests are silenced; he’s forced to obey.
A child cries out, “My mother is near!”
Her voice ignored, her face wet with fear.
The doors close tight, no answers to find,
Just destinations etched in a faceless mind.
And as they’re scattered to places unknown,
A chilling echo of history is shown.
Not 1933, no Reich in sight,
But the shadows of hatred stretch into night.
For first, they came for the Gypsy kin,
Dismissing their lives as a lesser sin.
And though the years have passed us by,
The same dark truths still blacken the sky.
What Christmas joy can this city claim,
When human dignity is traded for shame?
Manchester, a mirror of times so grim,
Where compassion falters, and hope grows dim.
Let not the lesson be ignored,
For silence itself becomes a sword.
Stand with the displaced, the voices denied,
Or watch as humanity withers inside.
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