'They don't do it for Parklife:' GMP stops sending letters banning people from Carnival after campaigners' complaints

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Campaigners have welcomed a decision by Greater Manchester Police not to send letters banning local people from Manchester Caribbean Carnival this year.

The letters, which were sent to around 50 people last year, were previously labelled as 'discriminatory' by campaigners who criticised the force's decision to prevent people attending the community event - which takes place every August.

Police stated that recipients had been issued letters as they were believed to be a 'member of a street gang, affiliated to a street gang, perceived by others to be associated to a street gang, involved in criminal activity, or arrested at the festival 2019, 2020, 2021, involved or linked to serious youth violence.' Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features Youth organisation, Kids of Colour, raised concerns that the bans were discriminatory given the 'vague, heavily racialised criteria used to justify the bans,' and questioned why no such letters were understood to have been sent to people planning to attend Parklife festival.

Ahead of this year's carnival, which takes place this weekend (August 12), the group, along with human rights organisation, Liberty, threatened GMP and Manchester City Council with legal action over the letters, asking the authorities to provide evidence which countered their claims that the letters were not legal.