A mid-air altercation between two men and their mother led to a chaotic situation at Manchester Airport, resulting in the arrest of the two men. The family claims that they were defending their mother, who had been involved in a dispute with a male passenger while on a flight from Pakistan. The situation escalated when the men confronted the passenger at the airport, leading to a physical altercation and police involvement.
Following the incident, videos emerged showing one of the men being kicked in the face and stamped on the head by a police officer. The family’s lawyer has stated that the man has since been diagnosed with a cyst on his brain, although it is unclear if this was a preexisting condition. The footage of the incident has sparked protests in Manchester and Rochdale, with demonstrators calling for the officers involved to be fired.
Lord Walney, the Government’s independent adviser on political violence, has warned against descending into ‘mob rule’ and emphasized the importance of allowing official investigations to take place. One of the officers involved in the incident has been suspended, and the IOPC has received referrals from GMP about two officers. The Labour MP for Rochdale, Paul Waugh, has spoken to the family involved and emphasized their desire for justice to be served and for calm to prevail.
Protests against the treatment of the brothers have continued outside Rochdale Police Station and in the streets of Manchester. Demonstrators are calling for the officers involved in the incident to lose their jobs and are demanding justice. The rally, which included the campaign group Stand Up To Racism, saw participants chanting slogans such as ‘We want them sacked’ and ‘No Justice, No Peace, No Racist Police.’ Signs with messages like ‘GMP is racist’ and ‘Black Lives Matter’ were also present at the protest.
The family involved has expressed their desire for privacy and time to heal physically and mentally. They have no political agenda and do not condone political violence. The family members, some of whom are police officers themselves, are shocked by the events that unfolded. While there is deep concern about the incident, there is also a need to prevent extremists from hijacking the events for their own purposes.
Overall, the incident at Manchester Airport has sparked outrage and calls for justice, with protesters demanding accountability for the actions of the officers involved. The family at the center of the controversy is focused on healing and ensuring that justice is served in a fair and transparent manner.
