The policing operation for the Conservative Party Conference draws to an end

As the annual Conservative Party Conference comes to a close, Greater Manchester Police would like to thank attendees, the people of Greater Manchester, and visitors, for another successful and peaceful policing operation.

This multi-agency security operation, codenamed Operation Protector, has been months in the planning and saw thousands of extra people enter the city to attend the event, all of which passed without incident.

Sunday 1 October was the main day for protests, with thousands of protestors marching through the city, and attending a rally. Despite the typical Mancunian weather, spirits were high, and the events went ahead without incident, coming to a peaceful conclusion.

Whilst unrelated to the event, a number of proactive arrests were made in the city centre for a range of offences including driving whilst under the influence of drugs, shop lifting, and a man who was wanted for assault, demonstrating it was business as usual for many officers on the ground.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes, Gold Commander for the event, said: “Over the past four days, we’ve seen more than ten thousand delegates and visitors come to our city, supporting local businesses and the local economy; it is testament to Manchester being an iconic city for major events.

“As expected, and as in previous years, there were a number of protests throughout the period – notably on Sunday 1 October, which saw around 3,000 people march through the city.

“Security operations of this scale are always complex and require a high degree of multiagency work. With our partners, we have worked tirelessly to protect delegates, enable protests, and keep our city safe, and I am proud to hear such positive feedback about our staff who have performed their duties to the highest of standards.

“And finally, I would like to thank those who live, work or were visiting Manchester during this busy period for their patience whilst our operation was in place.”