GMP issued a statement after chaotic scenes between demonstrators and officers at the Palestine protest

Police issued a statement after video footage emerged of chaotic scenes involving demonstrators and officers at a pro-Palestine protest in Manchester.

The scenes unfolded in the city center yesterday afternoon (Saturday) as the demonstration took place. Protesters from different groups initially met in Piccadilly Gardens at 12pm before moving to St Peter’s Square.

The clips, which were shared on X, formerly Twitter, appeared to show disorder between police officers and demonstrators. Activists from Manchester Palestine Action claimed that the police “beat the protesters”.

READ THE FOLLOWING: Police statement after Barclays branches targeted by pro-Palestine groups with red paint

Sharing the clips, the group wrote: “Police beat protesters in Manchester for opposing the genocide in Gaza and demanding the freedom of Palestinian political prisoners.”

Bosses at GMP said “chaos ensued” as officers made their way through the crowd yesterday. The force said officers initially entered the protest to arrest a man on suspicion of assault “in relation to a matter unrelated to the protest”.

Police added that in light of the videos, “the situation will be reviewed.” They will look at officers’ body cameras to “identify if any learning can be captured.”

The force added that four officers suffered “minor” injuries. Chief Inspector Peter Crowe from GMP’s Manchester City district said: “Our focus when policing protests is to act fairly and fairly; to use the necessary powers to prevent situations from escalating and keep people safe.

“When officers entered the pro-Palestinian demonstrations in St Peter’s Square yesterday afternoon, it was to find and arrest a man suspected of assault in relation to a matter unrelated to the protest. captured in a video circulating on social media.

“Public order policing is complex and challenging and we will be looking at this situation and the officer’s body-worn images to identify if any information can be captured.”

Read more of today’s top stories here