Manchester 2024: Romany and Traveller families forced onto trains, displaced without cause

On a day meant for festive cheer, Manchester became the site of an unsettling and shameful spectacle. Young Romany and Traveller children, along with their families, were forcibly removed from the city and shoved onto trains headed to unknown destinations. The same city that boasts inclusivity and multicultural pride revealed its stark hypocrisy as officers herded people away like unwelcome intruders.

This was not a misunderstanding. This was an intentional act of displacement. These families, many of them young mothers with children, came to Manchester to enjoy the Christmas Market. Instead, they were met with disdain, treated as trespassers on public streets. Officers, backed by authority and unchecked power, forced minors and families into carriages without explanation. Questions like “Where is this train going?” were met with silence or threats.

A teenager’s voice rang out:

“I don’t live there. This is the wrong train. I can’t go there.”

But there was no compassion, no humanity in the response. Instead, he was told bluntly, “Get in, or I’ll lock you up now.” A child, separated from her mother, pleaded desperately to stay together. Her cries fell on deaf ears.

This was not the 1930s. This was not Nazi Germany. But the parallels are chilling. History has already taught us the dangers of dehumanising Roma and Travellers, of herding them onto trains without care for their humanity. It began with displacement, with exclusion. It escalated into something far darker. Today, in Manchester, echoes of those atrocities reverberated as uniformed officers did their job with grim efficiency.

A Wider Pattern of Discrimination

The treatment of Romany and Traveller communities in the UK is no longer a silent issue. From discriminatory laws to the removal of rights to traditional nomadic lifestyles, Britain has been quietly and systematically erasing these communities for decades.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act 2022 has empowered authorities to criminalise trespass and punish those who travel for their livelihoods or heritage. What unfolded in Manchester is the result: a society emboldened to treat Gypsies and Travellers as vermin, not as citizens.
The media often perpetuates this narrative, painting Gypsies and Travellers as troublemakers rather than recognising their rich culture, resilience, and humanity. This is a deliberate campaign to strip them of sympathy and public support.

But today’s actions in Manchester went a step further. This was physical displacement. Families were removed not only from the market but from the city itself. They were made to feel like they had no place to belong.
 

“First They Came for the Gypsies…”

There is a dangerous irony here. The famous poem about the Holocaust, “First they came…”, fails to mention the Roma. Yet they were among the first to be persecuted, displaced, and killed. Today, this omission is not just historical; it’s a reflection of ongoing marginalisation.

If we stand silent as Romany and Traveller people are forced from public spaces, we risk repeating the mistakes of the past. The parallels to 1930s Europe are not overdramatised—they are a stark warning.
 

Where is the Outrage?

Where are the human rights organisations, the media headlines, the public outrage? If this were any other group, Manchester’s streets would be filled with protests, and social media would be alight with indignation. Yet when it happens to Travellers, silence fills the void.

The officers involved in this “cleansing” will likely pat themselves on the back for a job well done. But what they achieved was nothing less than an assault on human dignity. They’ve shown that the traditions of family, travel, and freedom celebrated in these communities are unwelcome in their city.
 

A Call to Action

This is not just a Romany and Traveller issue. This is a human rights issue. The dehumanisation and displacement of any group sets a dangerous precedent for all.

We must demand answers from Manchester’s authorities. Who ordered this? What justification exists for forcing people onto trains against their will? We must hold those in power accountable and ensure this never happens again.

The UK likes to tout itself as a beacon of democracy and human rights. But actions like these lay bare the rot beneath that claim. If Manchester’s Christmas Market is built on the displacement of families, then its lights shine hollow.

It’s time to stand up. It’s time to speak out. Before they come for someone else.

By Claire Rice

(You Tube credits @ManchesterWalks)