Greater Manchester Police shut down an illegal protest rave which took over Manchester city centre in reaction to as the Tory Party conference.
At around 8.30am on Sunday 4 October 2015, officers entered Piccadilly Gardens and began to disperse the people who had gathered as part of the on-going rave.
It began when protestors set up a generator and speaker system in Piccadilly Gardens at around 7pm on Friday 2 October, sparking complaints from residents, businesses and local councillors.
Two people were arrested for obstructing police officers.
Chief Superintendent John O’Hare said: “We have once again found ourselves in a situation which requires the need to balance a number of considerations.
“Throughout the last two days officers have tried to reason with the organisers to find a middle ground which would enable their protest to continue without causing such unreasonable disruption to the wider community.
“Unfortunately they have shown little regard for others, refused to turn the music down to reasonable levels and as a result have made life very uncomfortable for residents and businesses.
“We have been working alongside Manchester City Council and Environmental Services to collect evidence of anti-social behaviour on the site, particularly around the noise levels, which have been above acceptable limits since it began.
“Greater Manchester Police will always try to allow people to exercise their right to peaceful protest, and indeed we will see tens of thousands of people travel to the city today to do just that.
“This week we have the responsibility to protect democracy in this country.
“I can understand people have been frustrated that this protest has been allowed to continue for as long as it has, but there were a number of factors which we had to take into account as we continue to manage an incredibly complex security operation.”
