Paddy Doherty endorses 'peaceful protest' over young travellers turned away from Manchester

Paddy Doherty has endorsed a 'peaceful protest' planned in Manchester in the wake of the furore surrounding GMP's decision to turn travellers - many of them children - away from the city centre on Saturday.

The My Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and Celebrity Big Brother star criticised 'discrimination' but insisted the protest would be peaceful: "Please don't come for trouble. It's just protest."

The Gypsy Traveller League announced a 'peaceful protest' in Manchester on Friday December 6. On its Facebook page, the announcement said: "We've faced injustice for thousands of years, but in 2024 we say enough is enough. Together, we stand as one, united against discrimination."

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In a video posted on the page, Mr Doherty said the police actions amounted to 'discrimination'. He added: "They're our children. English, Irish, it doesn't make any difference. They're our community, our children, travelling in trains where they didn't know where they're going."

He added: "It's not for trouble, please turn up. This is all for travellers' rights.... It's not for trouble, please don't come for trouble. It's just protest. We're human beings. We're not vermin."

He said the young travellers had gone to Manchester 'to party, go shopping' but that police had been 'bullying and intimidating' them

The force has has defended its decision to issue a 'dispersal order' just after noon on Saturday, saying it followed reports that groups were causing trouble on trains on their way into Manchester.

Video was widely circulated online of police officers herding young travellers back onto trains at Victoria railway station on Saturday