Calls for calm amid protests over officer stamping on suspect at Manchester Airport

'Shocking and appalling' video of armed police officer has caused public outcry

Greater Manchester Police has suspended an officer after a video shared on social media appeared to show an armed officer kicking a man who was lying on the floor. Photo: X

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has made an urgent call for calm amid protests caused by a video showing a British armed police officer apparently stamping on a suspect's head during an arrest at the city's airport.

The footage, filmed at the airport's Terminal 2, shows the British police officer, with a Taser in his hand, appearing to kick and then stamp on the head of a man who is lying face down, with a woman kneeling beside him.

The officer then also appears to strike a second man.

On Thursday evening, a few hundred people gathered outside Mr Burnham’s office to protest against the “shocking and appalling” incident on Tuesday night at Manchester Airport.

Protesters were part of a Stand Up To Racism demonstration and chanted slogans such as “No justice, no peace, no racist police”.

They then marched through the city before speeches took place.

A crowd, reportedly of about 200 people, also gathered outside Rochdale police station late on Wednesday, with some chanting, “GMP shame on you”.

Mr Burnham said he had seen the full footage leading up to an incident and that it was “not a clear-cut situation”.

“There are issues for everyone involved in this and I’m not shying away from that,” Mr Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester.

“It doesn’t detract at all … from the footage that people have seen on social media.

"It remains disturbing to me and hence the right steps have been taken with the suspension, and the right process now has to be put in place to ensure that everybody can have confidence in what follows from here.

“We do these things in the right way here, we never turn away, we never look away from difficult things.

"We do it carefully, we do it properly and that is exactly what is now going to happen and it is why I will be working with everybody today in getting out that message for calm.”

On Thursday morning, Greater Manchester Police announced the officer had been suspended while an investigation takes place.

Initially the force had stood the officer down from operational duties, but as the video went viral on social media it faced mounting pressure for tougher measures.

Former Metropolitan police chief superintendent Dal Babu described the video of the arrest as “shocking and totally appalling”, and said racism played a “significant part”.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had seen the video.

“I understand that concern,” Mr Starmer said.

Mr Burnham met Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss the incident on Thursday.

After meeting with the force and Mr Burnham on Thursday, Ms Cooper welcomed the investigation.

“I share the deep concern surrounding the video and understand the widespread distress it will have caused,” she said.

Newly elected Rochdale Labour MP Paul Waugh said he has spoken to the family involved in the incident on Tuesday night “and it is clear they are deeply traumatised by what happened”.

Mr Waugh described the footage as “shocking and disturbing”.

The family, who are his constituents, have two priorities, he said, the health and wellbeing of those involved including their mother, and the need for justice to be done.

“This is a hardworking Rochdale family, some of whose members are police officers themselves and are therefore particularly shocked at what they have witnessed," Mr Waugh said.

“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.

“The family have told me they certainly do not want to become the centre of a media circus, either. They want the privacy and time to allow them to heal, physically and mentally.”

The MP said he was pleased Greater Manchester Police was “engaging with community groups and are acutely aware of the distress this video has caused locally, nationally and even internationally”.

“There is a wider background and context to this incident, which will be explored by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and it’s important not to rush to judgment based on social media clips," Mr Waugh said.

The two men in the video have been identified by their solicitor, Akhmad Yakoob, as brothers Ammad and Fahir.

Earlier, Mr Yaqoob posted a video on social media after the brothers' release from a police station.

The lawyer, who this year stood as a mayoral candidate campaigning on Gaza with the backing of politician George Galloway, said he was taking the men to make a formal complaint against the officers responsible.

“I’m here with Ammad and Fahir,” he said.

“They were released not long ago from Cheadle Police Station, and then had to make their own way to the hospital.

"But in reality, because they’ve had head injuries, it was the police’s duty to take them to a hospital.

“But nevertheless they made their own way here. I’ve documented their injuries and we are headed to Rochdale police station to make a formal complaint of assault and wounding.”

Mr Yakoob spoke on behalf of the family to media gathered at Rochdale police station – the scene of a protest the night before.

He said Fahir, 19, was “fighting for his life” from head injuries he received and that his brother and 56-year old mother were also assaulted at the airport.

The two men had arrived to pick up their mother who had flown in from Pakistan, he said.

He said the condition of one of the men had worsened and a CT scan revealed a “cyst on his brain”.

Their elder brother, a serving officer with Greater Manchester Police, he added, was “too afraid” to go to work.

Mr Yakoob refused to be drawn on what may have caused 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 well-being 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 hoped that “honest” police officers would come forward to assist the continuing IOPC investigation.

Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry said the armed police had been responding to reports of an attack on officers at the airport.

“During our response, three officers were assaulted,” he said.

“One female officer suffered a broken nose and the other officers were forced to the ground and suffered injuries which required hospital treatment.”

Four men were arrested at the scene for affray and assault on emergency service workers.

“Whilst attempting to arrest one of the suspects of the earlier altercation, three officers were subject to a violent assault, where they were punched to the ground,” a force spokesman said.

“As the attending officers were firearms officers, there was a clear risk during this assault of their firearms being taken from them.”

Mr Chaudhry said officers had spent the night in discussions with the community.

“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,” he said.

“We have already referred our actions to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and will be in further discussions with them.

“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.”

A 2021 report that found black people were more likely to be arrested, Tasered and searched by Greater Manchester Police than white people.

The report found that its officers were four times more likely to use force against black people in comparison to white people, 2.8 times more likely to arrest them, 5.7 times more likely to use a Taser on them and 5.3 times more likely to use stop and search powers against them.

“We are deeply alarmed by the recent police brutality at Manchester Airport," the Muslim Association of Britain said.

"This incident, coupled with a 2021 report citing institutional racism within Greater Manchester Police, highlights deep-seated issues.

“The Independent Office for Police Conduct must conduct a thorough investigation, with the results made public.”

The IOPC police watchdog's regional director, Catherine Bates, said a “thorough and robust” independent investigation has been launched into the level of force used by the officer.

“We have been advised by the force that the officer has now been suspended from all duties," Ms Bates said.

“We have already secured a significant amount of body-worn video and CCTV footage, which will be subject to detailed analysis.

"We appreciate people want answers and we will work to provide those answers as quickly as we can.

“Updates will be provided as our investigation progresses.”