Four individuals have been arrested following the release of a video depicting a black man being assaulted by a sizable group of men.
Shocking footage has captured the moment a fence was hurled at a man who was punched and kicked after fighting broke out during a protest in Manchester city centre this weekend.
Hundreds of people descended on Piccadilly Gardens for a demonstration entitled 'Stand Up For Your Country: Enough is Enough' on Saturday (August 3).
A counter rally was also attended by 350 demonstrators earlier in the day. There were tense scenes as the two groups were kept apart by rows of police officers.
A disturbing video has surfaced, showing a black man being assaulted by a group of men, with one of them draped in an England flag. The footage captures the group encircling the man, who is then seized by another man and forced to the ground, where he is kicked in the head and punched.
Upon regaining his footing, the man is targeted for another kick by one individual, while another man hurls a metal railing towards him. Subsequently, a group of men converge on him in a sustained assault. Some proceed to shove and deliver punches as he tries to protect himself, eventually falling to the ground again.
After being targeted with several kicks and punches, the man manages to stand up. Subsequently, two police officers step in to intervene and break up the altercation.
Additional officers then rushed in, overpowering the black man who was previously assaulted and bringing him to the ground. While the police instructed the crowd to 'step back', several individuals within the crowd were observed recording the altercation on their smartphones.
Following the incident, Greater Manchester Police has confirmed that they are investigating the matter. The authorities stated that a man, now believed to be the victim, was initially apprehended on suspicion of causing a disturbance but was later released after new information emerged.
Four other individuals have been taken into custody in connection with the event and are currently being interrogated. Various leads are being pursued as part of the investigation.
A GMP spokesperson said: "Officers responding to an incident in Piccadilly Gardens on Saturday made an arrest after witnessing an altercation between a man and a larger group. After initially arresting one man on suspicion of breach of the peace, he was subsequently de-arrested when further information came to light.
"Four people have since been arrested in connection with the incident and remain in custody for questioning. Enquiries are ongoing."
The force revealed that officers have now made nine arrests in connection with the city centre protest. A further fourteen arrests were made as protests and counter-protesters gathered in Bolton Follow Manchester Today on Facebook, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Newsdesk@ManchesterToday.org.uk
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