Manchester city centre was transformed into a heavily policed, locked-down zone on Saturday, April 18th, as hundreds of officers were deployed to meticulously keep rival protest groups apart. This extensive operation caused major disruption in the heart of the city, halting trams for hours, sealing off roads, and controlling entire corridors of movement with dense lines of police, despite a relatively small number of demonstrators, estimated at around 1,000 in total.

This visible and significantly resourced response was a direct consequence of a chaotic protest eight weeks prior, on February 21st. On that day, hundreds of Britain First supporters, Stand Up to Racism activists, and anti-fascist protesters converged on central streets, leading to three hours of intense tension, scuffles, and confrontation. A man was attacked in the Gay Village, and eleven arrests were made. Footage and testimony from the February event prompted scrutiny over Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) control, escalation points, and effectiveness in separating groups once tensions rose, despite GMP later describing it as peaceful in terms of overall disorder.

Against this backdrop, the April 18th operation was markedly more defensive and proactive. Britain First supporters gathered again on Store Street beneath Piccadilly Station at midday, waving England flags and chanting. They prepared to march a short distance towards Portland Street and St Peter’s Square. Simultaneously, hundreds of counter-protesters, including anti-racism groups known as Resist Britain First, assembled at Piccadilly Gardens, waiting for their opponents to move. The memory of February’s clashes clearly influenced the day's policing strategy.

Greater Manchester Police appeared determined not to allow a repeat of the previous disorder. Officers lined streets in dense formations, with reinforcements drawn in from forces across the country, including Merseyside Police. Travel across the city centre was brought to a standstill; trams were suspended for hours through the St Peter’s Square corridor, and services were unable to run. Passers-by struggled to move, repeatedly stopped by cordons as police sealed off areas like Piccadilly Gardens bus station and St Peter’s Square. Visitors arriving at Piccadilly Station were met with a striking scene of police horses and riot vans, with many shoppers expressing confusion.

As the march commenced, the policing remained tight and highly visible. Britain First supporters were held in controlled sections before being allowed to move, with officers blocking side streets and forming moving cordons to maintain separation from counter-protesters. The route, though short, was meticulously managed. While a few terse words were exchanged near Piccadilly Gardens and later at St Peter’s Square, where groups were separated by multiple barriers and dense lines of police, serious disorder was largely contained. Officers moved with urgency to address any potential flashpoints, quickly breaking up a brief stand-off near Manchester Central and small breakaway groups before they could escalate.

GMP utilized enhanced powers to manage the demonstration. A Section 34 dispersal order was in place until 8pm, allowing officers to direct people to leave the area. Additionally, a Section 60 order provided officers with enhanced stop and search powers, and Section 60AA allowed them to require the removal of face coverings. GMP confirmed that force was required when counter-protesters attempted to break police lines and throw punches, leading to the deployment of PAVA spray as a tactic. A small breakaway group near Manchester Town Hall also resisted officers, requiring some force to move them away from a nearby counter-group.

By the end of the day, Greater Manchester Police confirmed just three arrests had been made. One male counter-protester was arrested on suspicion of breaching Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, for failing to remove a face covering or provide details. Another male counter-protester was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. The third arrest was a woman on suspicion of breaching the peace, though her affiliation with either group was unknown. There were no reports of injuries to any members of the public.

After the march concluded, Britain First supporters remained outside Central Library for approximately 90 minutes under close watch. Their eventual departure was met with chanting and drumming from counter-protesters further up St Peter’s Square, who stayed until the final groups dispersed. As the demonstrations wound down, pressure across the city eased, trams slowly returned to service, and barriers were removed, leaving Manchester with the impression of a city heavily controlled for hours.

Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson stated, “We had extra officers on duty to support people’s right to protest peacefully while reducing the impact on the wider public. Thanks to the efforts of our officers on the ground and the planning done with our partners, hundreds of people from a range of groups were able to come together safely, with no significant issues reported. I hope the work of our officers and partners meant that the general public were able to enjoy their day in Manchester city centre without significant disruption, and I thank them for their cooperation and patience.”