Manchester Caribbean Carnival: Criminals warned to stay away from event

Manchester Caribbean Carnival attracts tens of thousands of people every year

Criminals are being warned to stay away from the Manchester Caribbean Carnival so it can be enjoyed "safely".

The carnival began in 1972 as an impromptu parade set up by members of the Windrush generation.

But recently "unofficial after-parties" have led to "criminal activity, serious violence and antisocial behaviour", Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

The force said it had "significantly increased" policing for the event in Alexandra Park on 12 and 13 August.

In 2018, 12 people, including a 12-year-old girl, were injured when shots were fired at a street party following the carnival.

Additional covert and overt officers will be deployed this year to "deter, detect and manage situations in a way that keeps people safe and minimises harm and impact", GMP said.

Supt Arif Nawaz said: "The vast majority of people attend the carnival to simply enjoy the festivities and police preparations are in place to enable them to do so safely.

"The trend of unofficial after-parties, involving gatherings outdoors following carnival events, cause unacceptable issues for our communities and impede emergency vehicles from keeping people safe and well.

"Officers will be acting on intelligence to search and intercept anyone in the area suspected to have criminal intentions."

In 2018, 12 people, including a 12-year-old girl, were injured when shots were fired at a street party following the carnival

The warning comes a week after two campaign groups said their work had led to the force not sending out letters which banned people from the event "based on vague criteria".

Kids of Colour, supported by Liberty, had raised concerns the bans were discriminatory.

A spokesperson said: "After we raised concerns that carnival banning letters were racist, Greater Manchester Police decided not to send them this year. But unfortunately those who do attend carnival will still be subject to disproportionate and harmful policing.

"We advise anyone attending to read up on Know Your Rights information so that you know what to do if you're stopped by police; to look out for one another; and to contact us or the Northern Police Monitoring Project if you need advice or support after an interaction with the police."

GMP said 46 letters were sent out in 2022 for the carnival, which attracts thousands of people.

But the force was unable to confirm if any banning letters were issued ahead of other events in the region in 2022.

Supt Nawaz, said the letters "were not a necessary or proportionate part of our policing plan this year".

"We recognise concerns raised by Kids of Colour and want to reassure them and the public that GMP's policing tactics are always focused on keeping people safe and minimising harm," he added.

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