TV star joins Travellers protest as Manchester brought to standstill over 'shocking' police decision

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Around 300 people from Traveller communities and their supporters brought parts of Manchester city centre to a standstill as part of a march to protest against GMP's use of a dispersal order last month.

The force enforced the order - covering the whole of the city centre - 'following reports of trouble among people heading into town' on Saturday, November 23.

Video was widely shared on social media, with clips showing officers turning people away, among them children from Traveller communities.

People were ushered onto trains heading out of town at Victoria station. Today (Friday, December 6) a demonstration organised by the Gypsy Traveller League started in St Peter's Square at 3pm, led by Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and Celebrity Big Brother star Paddy Doherty and Tommy Joyce, a well-known face among Greater Manchester's Traveller communities. READ MORE: Police officer suffers 'most traumatic event of his life' after going up to man in van GMP has defended its decision to issue a 'dispersal order', saying it followed reports groups were causing trouble on trains on their way into Manchester.