The organizer of the anti-lockdown protest at Piccadilly Garden said he would contest the 10,000 10,000 fine he handed over to police.
Paul Boyce, a fitness instructor at Trafford and a “former military veteran”, insisted that the “Rise Up Manchester” rally in the center of Manchester City on Sunday afternoon was justified and was “not illegal”.
Greater Manchester currently has the highest rate of coronavirus infections in the country, and hospitals had to suspend non-emergency surgery due to the acute crisis in Covid-19 patients.
The latest coronavirus law prohibits gatherings of more than two people to prevent the spread of the virus.
A Home Office spokesman told Maine that this included all kinds of protests.
“In this unprecedented situation, any gathering leads to more deaths with the risk of spreading the disease, so it is vital that we all play our part in controlling the virus,” the spokesman said.
“People must follow the rules of meeting others, which applies to all gatherings and therefore protests.
(Image: YouTube)
“As they have done throughout the epidemic, police and local authorities will be involved, explaining and encouraging people to follow the rules before proceeding with law enforcement.”
Police say Mr Boys was warned that the rally was not allowed and requested that he leave with him.
However, hundreds of people from all over the country attended the event – which was advertised on social media.
After walking through the city center, the crowd gathered in the Piccadilly Gardens and stayed for a few hours.
Protesters were seen following social distance guidelines and many did not wear masks
Police has issued an order to disperse the crowd to leave, but a failure on Sunday afternoon to protest the move broke down.
Officers arrested four people and issued 25 200 25 fixed penalty notices for coronavirus law violations.
Several police officers were injured and city leaders reacted angrily, the force said.
GMP Chief Constable Ian Hopkins called the event “completely ridiculous” and confirmed that he had been forced to draft officers across the region to disperse the crowd.
Mayor Andy Burnham described the organizers and those who took part as “irresponsible and selfish”.
At first, Mr. Boyce, 40, appeared and tried to distance himself from the protest.
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‘Rise Up Manchester’ claimed in a post on Twitter that police said the rally could no longer go.
Mr Boys then said he had “exercised his right to walk” and “those who came to take part in the event chose to walk with him”.
The post said, “Heavy police presence and reports of fines, arrests and injuries of officers occurred after the incident ended and after the organizers left, and so we do not accept any responsibility for this incident.”
Speaking to Maine, he added: “I just dispersed everyone, ‘It’s over now, go home’. I was in my car.”
In the videos posted on social media, Mr. Boys addressed the crowd through loudspeakers and later posted a video on YouTube of those who were present and claimed their crowd was ‘thousands’.
Police confirmed tonight that they had fined the event organizer a maximum of 10,000 10,000 for violating the coronavirus law.
Posting on his Facebook page, Mr Boys told one of his supporters that he had been fined, adding: “I will compete for it.”
Mr. Boys did not respond when asked for further comment by MEN.
What do you do with the lockdown protest procession? You have said below
Police today arrested at the protest said more details.
Two men, aged 30 and 32, were arrested for breach of the peace and both were fined 200 200.
A 40-year-old man was arrested under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. He was also fined 200.
A 23-year-old woman was arrested under Section 4 of the Public Order Act and has been released under investigation. He was also fined 200.
Mabs Hussein, assistant chief constable of the Greater Manchester Police, said: “Before Sunday, the authorities tried to get involved with the man who organized the rally – warning him of the possible consequences and advising him to withdraw his plan.
“However, he decided to ignore the suggestion and took a reckless and irresponsible step. As a result, he was fined a significant amount.
“Work is underway to identify others who are participating in public rallies and are clearly violating government sanctions.
“Collecting such increased demand on our officers, who are already working tirelessly in difficult situations to protect our population.
“There are government restrictions on social distance to control the spread of Covid-19.
“We acknowledge that these are difficult times, but I would urge everyone to think about their loved ones and do your bit to prevent the virus, as well as comply with current restrictions during the lockdown.”
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