# 2024 Manchester Airport police incident

In July 2024, footage of a violent altercation at Manchester Airport in the United Kingdom involving police was widely shared on social media, leading to a protest of hundreds of people outside of a police station, and fears of unrest in the hometown of one of the men involved. One officer was suspended from duty, and four men were arrested as a result of the incident.
Leader of the political party Reform UK, Nigel Farage, accused Greater Manchester Police and the Crown Prosecution Service of "two-tier policing" for not announcing charges by October 2024. The party threatened legal action against two of the men involved in the incident if charges were not forthcoming.
Charges were bought against two men in December 2024. At this time, the previous suspension of an officer was lifted. Two officers remain under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

## Incident

On 23 July 2024, a police officer was suspended from duty and four men were arrested on suspicion of affray and assault on emergency workers following a violent altercation at Manchester Airport. Footage of the incident was widely circulated on social media, with The Guardian reporting that it "shocked the world" and led to fears of serious unrest in the hometown of one of the men involved. The video showed a police officer with his Taser drawn, kicking and stamping on the head of a man laying on the ground, and kneeing him in the side. Further footage showed a man punching a police officer in the face, breaking her nose.
Chief constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Wasim Chaudhry said, "In advance of what is shown in the footage available, we were called to reports of an assault at terminal 2, Manchester airport, at 8.25pm on Tuesday 23 July. The alleged suspect was seen on CCTV at a ticket machine in the car park and officers attended the location to arrest him. 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."
In the week following the incident, footage emerged of what happened beforehand. It showed GMP officers restraining a man, a second man intervening, and a fight breaking out. The two officers were punched to the ground. After the release of the video, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham reiterated an early statement that it was "a complicated situation with two sides to it". In September 2024, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced an investigation into whether the footage "was provided by someone working for Greater Manchester Police and, if so, the justification for this".

## Reaction

A protest involving hundreds of people occurred outside the GMP station in Rochdale on 25 July. The force released images of five men they wanted to speak to over an "outbreak of disorder" at the event.
Akhmed Yakoob, a solicitor known for his social media presence, stepped down from representing the men involved in the incident after receiving criticism for saying that they were targets of an "attempted assassination".
In October 2024, right-wing political party Reform UK threatened legal action against two of the men involved in the incident if the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to charge them. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused GMP and the CPS of "two-tier policing" for not announcing charges. The Home Office refuted these claims, saying it is "right the CPS and the IOPC were able to carry out their investigations independently". In November, Farage and Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice announced they would be moving forward with their plans to pursue prosecution.

## Charges

In December 2024, the Crown Prosecution service announced that two men had been charged with assaulting police officers as a result of the incident, and that no charges are being bought against police. Brothers Muhammed Amaad, 25, and Mohammed Amaaz, 20, of Rochdale, are due to appear at Liverpool Magistrates Court in January 2025.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson said that after GMP's own inquiry, and the CPS's decision "to take no further criminal action against serving officers", he was lifting the previous suspension of an officer. Two officers remain under investigation by the IOPC.