'No one is in possession of all the facts: Andy Burnham urges people to reserve judgement over Manchester Airport video
28 July 2024, 11:24 | Updated: 29 July 2024, 05:14
Greater Manchester's Mayor Andy Burnham has urged for people to reserve judge and for officials to be given space to investigate last week's incident at Manchester Airport.
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A viral video filmed on Tuesday sparked outcry and triggered protests after it showed an officer kick and stamp on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor, as a woman knelt beside him.
However, new footage filmed from a car park at Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2 now appears to show that officers were under attack moments before.
Now, the Manchester Mayor told LBC on Sunday that people should not "rush to judgement".
"There is another side to this. The situation is very complicated, fast moving, quite a violent situation.
"We now have is a fuller picture and hopefully people can see why I said what I said last week.
"It's frustrating to be honest because we were seeing whether more could be put in the public domain but the strictures around potential criminal trials mean that you have to be very careful in doing that.
"The video is out there, and at least it moves moves the issue forward cause people can see a more rounded picture now."
Warning: the below video contains violent scenes
VIDEO - New Manchester Airport video shows chaotic scene before man kicked in head by police officer.- MEN MEDIA
The officer involved in the video has been stood down from active duty, it has been confirmed.
Two men were also arrested on suspicion of assault, assault of emergency worker, affray, and obstructing police.
Two other men were also arrested on suspicion of affray and assault of an emergency worker.
Read more: Man stamped on by police at Manchester airport breaks silence as lawyer says they will 'get justice'
When asked whether the build-up to the event justified the use of force, Mr Burnham said: "Even though the context I had seen it still was right that the IOPC were involved, so that's where we are.
"There is a GMP witness appeal that's gone out now because there were three events; there was a an issue that began on a plane, that led to something in the arrivals hall, then an assault in the arrivals area. So there are three stages to this.
"It's why I keep saying no one is in possession of all of the facts you talk about people on both sides. Well, I just don't think people can, at this point come emphatically down and argue for one side against another.
"Life's more complicated than that.
"The truth always lies a bit more in between and that's the same with this as it is with everything in life."
He's wearing shorts, legs are exposed, hands by his side, doesn't appear to be carrying any weapons. Position he has adopted would indicate compliance. Being kicked to the back of head is a prima facie assault & against Home Office approved techniques. Chap on bench assaulted too pic.twitter.com/uh7FY75iJH
— 🅚🅐🅢🅗 🅐🅗🅜🅔🅓 (@KashAhmed77) July 24, 2024
Mr Burnham has also urged MPs to exercise more restraint in adding fuel to that fire.
"I can't defend the way he (Lee Anderson) done this.
"I think people on both sides have used this situation for political purposes and that isn't right.
He added that social media has worsened the situation and contributed to divided narratives.
"I think we are living in a world where people are polarised on things and they want to pick a side when anything like this happens.
"They want to rush to a judgement, or often they want to see a conspiracy in everything.
"Social media, I think is actually poisoning public and political debate to be honest with you, it's taking us backwards at times, not forwards.
"Life is always more complicated than social media experts would like us to believe."
Caller Colette condemns Lee Anderson's Manchester Airport comments
A group can be seen in the new video - originally obtained by Manchester Evening News - showing people standing close to a ticket machine as they are approached by police.
Three officers - one man and two women - can be seen walking through the group and towards a man dressed in light blue.
It comes after nights of protests in Rochdale and Manchester city centre after a viral video filmed on Tuesday showed an officer kick and stamp on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor, as a woman knelt beside him.
The male officer appears to then try and restrain the man and push his head down.Another man from the group then gets involved and grabs the officer in an attempt to free the detained man.
The group and officers then exchange blows as the male officer is pulled to the ground.
The detained man in blue manages to break free from the female officer and punch her other female colleague.Both women receive punches to the head with one ending up on the ground.
The male officer can then be seen wielding a Taser, directing it towards the male who appeared to punch him.
The man in blue who freed himself from police runs at the male officer from behind and throws a number of punches towards him.
The man in blue then drops to the floor, turning over onto his stomach and lying face down - at which point a woman can be seen kneeling down next to him.
The remainder of the new video has already been seen in Tuesday's footage where the officer appears to kick and then stamp on the man's head as he lies on the ground.
On Wednesday, a large crowd protested outside Rochdale police station, reportedly shouting "GMP shame on you".
While on Thursday, demonstrators blocked roads and tram lines which started outside the Mayor's office in central Manchester.
Crowds descended on St Peter’s Square before marching towards the Town Hall, with protesters carrying signs that accused Greater Manchester Police of being ‘racist’.
Others carried signs that read ‘no justice, no peace’ and ‘Black Lives Matter’.
