Manchester City Council have ordered King Street Gaza protestors to pack up their action camp in a letter issued this morning.
Activists set up the camp on the corner of Police Street and King Street on September 1.
King Street has been the site of angry controversial protests outside Jewish-owned shop Kedem Cosmetics since Israel mounted an offensive against Palestinian militant group Hamas on July 8, leaving more than 2,100 dead.
Despite an uneasy truce in place in the war-torn Middle Eastern region, protestors continue to take action and the council has acted in response to numerous complaints received by members of the public about the unauthorised encampment.
The letter said: “The City Council is aware that on the evening of September 1 a camp site was set up on the corner of Police Street and King Street in Manchester city centre.
“It is understood that the intention of this camp is to protest against issues going on elsewhere in the world.
“Whilst the City Council recognises that people have the right to protest, it is the City Council’s belief that this camp goes beyond legitimate protest.
“Furthermore, the camp takes up the whole of the footway on the corner of King Street and Police Street and as a result pedestrians are required to walk in the roadway.
“Police Street is an adopted highway and therefore vests in the City Council in its capacity as highway authority.
“You do not have the permission of the City Council to camp in this location and the City Council does not grant permission for anyone to camp within the city centre.
“I therefore request you stop occupying this location, remove any and all equipment that has been brought to the camp and not to set up camp in the city centre again.”
Manchester City Council and GMP stress that they are meeting regularly to discuss the situation.
Pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protestors have caused a series of controversies in their protests with Council Leader Sir Richard Leese drawing comparisons to Nazi Germany amid claims of anti-Semitism during the bitter row.
Image courtesy of Charles Veitch via YouTube with thanks
