Don’t use
video of officer kicking man at Manchester Airport for political purposes, says
mayor
Mayor Andy
Burnham says ‘situation not clear cut’ as lawyer says man has cyst on brain
ANTHONY
FRANCE @NEWSFRENCHTONY
Andy Burnham
has warned protesters not to use a video appearing to show a police officer
kicking a man on the floor at Manchester Airport for “political purposes”.
It comes as
a lawyer for the man, charity fundraiser Muhammad Fahir Amaaz, 19, claimed he
had a CT scan and has a cyst on his brain.
Mayor of
Greater Manchester, Mr Burnham, called for “calm” after the police officer was
suspended on Thursday.
He met with
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and the Independent Office for Police Conduct
(IOPC) to discuss the footage. The police watchdog is investigating.
Crowds
gathered in Manchester for a second night on Thursday to protest. Some held
placards reading “Black Lives Matter” and ‘Stop police brutality’ as they
marched through the streets.
Speaking to
BBC Radio Manchester, Mr Burnham cautioned people with a political agenda
against exploiting the situation for personal gain.
He had seen
the full footage leading up to a Greater Manchester Police officer kicking and
stamping on the head of Mr Amaaz who was lying face down on the floor of
Terminal Two and said it was “not a clear-cut situation”.
Describing
it as “fast-moving and complicated” incident with “issues for both sides”, Mr
Burnham added: “People do use situations like this for political purposes. I
would ask them not to do it.
“There is
understandable feeling and anger in the communities when people see the
incident, of course, I guess everyone understands that and there’s a reaction
but when people seek to exploit that then I don’t think that is at all in the
public interest, it’s not right.”
He said: “I
guarantee everybody across Greater Manchester today who has deep concerns about
this that this will be done properly, in the right way, independently. It will
be looked at and we’ll come to a right and fair conclusion.
“We have to
balance the range of things, don’t we? There is a difficult job that our
front-line professionals do, but at the same time they have to always uphold
the highest standards and that is what I’m here to do, to hold Greater
Manchester Police to account on behalf of the public and that is the process
that will now take place.”
A solicitor
representing two of the men involved in the incident, Mr Amaaz and his brother
Amaad, said their elder brother is a serving Greater Manchester Police officer.
Dubbed the
“TikTok lawyer”, Mr Yakoob won a significant vote share at this year’s West
Midlands mayoral election as he finished in third position on a pro-Gaza
ticket.
Speaking on
BBC News outside Rochdale police station, Akhmed Yakoob said the incident was
an example of “police brutality”, adding: “The people who were assaulted by the
police are members of a police officer’s family who is currently serving in the
Greater Manchester Police force.
“This man is
now afraid to go to work. He went in today and spoke to his supervisor, and the
only reason he is not going to work (is) because he is fearing for his own
safety and he thinks, like his family members were the victims, he could be a
victim.
“The family
are okay but they are traumatised.”
Mr Yakoob
said one of the men’s condition has “worsened” since Wednesday night, with a CT
scan revealing there is “a cyst on his brain”.
“The main
concern for us, for me, is that the family receive justice and this no longer
happens again,” the solicitor went on.
Mr Yakoob
refused to be drawn on what may have been the spark to the fracas.
Asked why
the police had approached the family, he said: “That’s not relevant. The
relevant issue right now is the health and the wellbeing of the family.
“One thing I
can say loud and clear is that nothing justifies the barbaric treatment from
the police officers.
“Because as
you can see from the videos that everybody has seen there was no threat
whatsoever to the police or the public.
“People are
forgetting that the mother was assaulted as well. She got punched and kicked in
the face.”
Mr Yakoob
said he had a “long history” with the police himself but added: “We are with
policing but we are against people taking advantage of their powers.”
The video
shared on social media on Tuesday also appeared to show the officer strike a
second man.
Police said
three of their officers had been assaulted, including a female Pc who suffered
a broken nose, and four men were arrested.
Mr Amaaz’s
brother Amaad, 25, of Rochdale, told MailOnline: “The family’s all shook up
with everything that’s happened. You’ve seen what happened to my mum.
“There’s a
lot we’re dealing with, my brother’s still in hospital getting a CT scan. He’s
got a black eye.
“My brother
is in a bad way. He is very shaken up.”
In a
statement on Thursday morning, a force spokesman said: “Following a thorough
review of further information that has become available in relation to an
incident at Manchester Airport on Tuesday evening, Greater Manchester Police
has suspended a police officer from all duties.
“A referral
has now been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for a
full independent investigation.
“We
understand the deep concerns that have been widely raised with us, and will
continue to meet and discuss these feelings with Greater Manchester residents
and elected representatives, whilst this independent investigation takes
place.”
Asked about
the video, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I’ve seen it myself. I understand
that concern.
“There has
now been the suspension of one police officer this morning and the Home
Secretary is meeting the Mayor of (Greater Manchester) to discuss this as we
speak now.”
Police said
the protest on Wednesday night, which was reported to have been attended by an
estimated 200 people, some chanting “GMP shame on you”, concluded “without
incident”.
Rochdale MP
Paul Waugh spoke with the family on Thursday.
Mr Waugh
said: “This is a hardworking Rochdale family, some of whose members are police
officers themselves and are therefore particularly shocked at what they have
witnessed.
“The family
also want me to make it crystal clear that they have no political agenda, do
not condone political violence and do not want to take part in any protests.
“They wanted
me to appeal for calm and I hope that appeal is heeded. While there is clearly
deep concern about this incident, there is also a vital need not to let
extremists of any kind hijack these events for their own ends.”
Home
Secretary Yvette Cooper said in statement shared on X: “I share the deep
concern surrounding the video and understand the widespread distress it will
have caused. I welcome the initiation of an independent investigation by the
Independent Office for Police Conduct following a referral from Greater
Manchester Police.
“It is
extremely important that the IOPC are able to begin the investigation swiftly
and conduct it thoroughly, examining all of the evidence, with clear and
transparent ways for all those affected to be able to raise their concerns with
the IOPC.
“I am
continuing to receive updates from Greater Manchester Police. It is vital that
we now allow this investigation to proceed fairly and independently.”
According to
the Manchester Evening News, some protesters let off fireworks outside the
police station and one told the crowd: “We’re no longer going to settle for
this police brutality. We put our trust in the police and what do they do
instead they inflict violence upon us when we surrender to them.”
GMP
Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry said: “We understand the immense
feeling of concern and worry that people feel about our response and fully
respect their right to demonstrate their views peacefully.
“We have
already referred our actions to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and
will be in further discussions with them today.
“We have
spent the evening listening to community feedback and will continue to engage
with communities and elected members to maintain strong partnership links and
understand local views.”
Describing
the video as “truly shocking”, he said people were “rightly extremely
concerned”.
The force
has said officers at the airport were responding to reports of an altercation
between members of the public.
Mr Chaudhry
added: “During our response, three officers were assaulted.
“One female
officer suffered a broken nose and the other officers were forced to the ground
and suffered injuries which required hospital treatment.”
Two men were
arrested on suspicion of assault, assault of an emergency worker, affray and
obstructing police and two were held on suspicion of affray and assault of an
emergency worker, he said.
Amar Minhas,
from Leeds, told the BBC he was coming through arrivals at the airport when he
saw police officers approach a man, in his early 20s, and pin him up against a
wall, before a fight broke out.
He described
the man “throwing punches, he was Tasered, and fell to the floor”, adding
“that’s when the policeman kicked him”.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário