Policing operation in place to welcome visitors to Manchester for this year’s Conservative Party Conference

The Operation Protector team are, from left to right, Superintendent Gareth Parkin, Chief Superintendent Colette Rose, Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry, Superintendent John Paul Ruffle, Superintendent Graeme Openshaw, and Chief Inspector Gareth Firth

A huge policing operation is well underway to welcome visitors to Manchester for this year’s Conservative Party Conference.

The four-day event at Manchester Central, from tomorrow (Sunday, October 3) to Wednesday, October 6, will see thousands of extra people in the city.

Greater Manchester Police has relaunched Operation Protector to oversee the safety and security of this year’s event.

Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors back to our city this year.

"Manchester is a vibrant place that has a lot to offer and is renowned for the friendliness of its people, who make it such a great place to live and work.

“GMP has a vast amount of experience in planning and hosting the large security operations needed to successfully manage events such officers will be visible in the city throughout the conference.

“We do expect a number of protesters to visit the city as well.

"As always, we have been working closely with conference organisers, Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and other partners to ensure demonstrations can take place peacefully with the minimum of disruption.

“As with many events like this, emotions can run high and while everyone has the right to peacefully protest, anyone behaving anyone behaving in a manner which is done to threaten or intimidate others or crosses into committing criminal offences will be dealt with appropriately.

“Further details of the policing operation will be provided alongside our partners as we move closer to the conference.”

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