The police have forced a group of homeless refugees to pack up their tents this morning in order to clear St Peter’s Square for the Remembrance parade on Sunday.
Around 8:30 am, officers were overheard telling colleagues the group had to move within 30 minutes or they would face arrest.
By 10am, GMP had moved all the homeless people on and fenced off the area, in preparation for the thousands expected in the square on Sunday.
It is understood that the homeless people were moved to allow police to conduct a sweep of the area.
One officer told Mancunian Matters they were referring people to the Mustard Tree, a charity in Ancoats which hosts breakfasts for refugees and the homeless.
It is understood Manchester City Council commissioned the charity to help the homeless who were being moved on.
One homeless person said he had been referred to the Mustard Tree before, but the help that they offered did not go far enough – he needed a home to live in.
Workers from Biffa, a waste management business, were seen disposing of any items left by the group – including sleeping bags.
The police have the power to do this through Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) which are designed to deal with nuisance and anti-social behaviour in public spaces.
According to homeless charity Shelter, Manchester had the third-highest rate of homeless people in the UK in 2023 – around one in 74.
Manchester City Council has an outreach scheme for rough sleepers and is partnered with homelessness charity Street Support.
A spokesperson for Mustard Tree said: “We’re working with the Council to offer our hub as a place of safety, where we can work with people who are refugees to find out about Manchester housing and support with skills and employment.
“We’re welcoming people for food, clothing and advice around their individual options.
“This is usually Food via our Food Club, Clothing via our Community Shop, plus information and guidance on housing, finances, skills, employment – as well as English language clubs and classes.”
Greater Manchester Police and Biffa have been approached for comment.
Featured image: Hannah Ahmed
