Criticism mounts over alleged racism in Manchester Airport police incident

By Behlul Cetinkaya

LONDON (AA) - A police officer at Manchester Airport was seen kicking and stamping on the head of a man who was lying face down on the floor last month, sparking widespread allegations of racism and increasing scrutiny of police conduct in the UK.

Speaking to Anadolu, Chris Nineham, deputy chair of the Stop the War Coalition, condemned the incident, stating: “There's no justification for that level of violence. It struck me that there were a few officers who had felt as if they were completely off the leash, they could do whatever they wanted to.”

Nineham also suggested that the officers appeared to take some pleasure in meting out absolutely life-threatening violence to people who were already being held down, arrested.

“I don't think it's a unique incident. Unfortunately, there was another attack in East London about 10 days ago on a Palestine activist this time, which again displayed that kind of brutality where you feel as if these are police officers who are clearly racist or clearly enjoying ultra-violence against Asian people, against Muslims and in the case of Tower Hamlets, against Palestine activists.”

Arguing that racism is a systemic problem within the British police, Nineham said that nearly 1,000 officers in the London Metropolitan Police have been suspended for offenses such as racist violence or homophobic or anti-women abuse.

- ‘Institutional problem’

Underlining the problem is institutional, he added: “Even the police's own investigations have found that it's structural, it's institutional.”

“I'm not saying that every police officer is racist, I don't think they are, but I think there is a bad culture right at the heart of the police, and partly all this is green-lighted by the fact that the government is telling the police they've got to get tough with the Palestine movement, which means getting tough with Muslims, which means sending a message to police officers that they can do, sometimes at least, what they want.”

Nineham claimed there is “extreme racism” in the British institutions against Muslims and Asians, noting that this has increased with the government's support for Israel amid the Gaza war.

He also criticized the response to the incident at Manchester Airport, arguing that the suspension of the officer involved was not sufficient. “They should all have been sacked immediately and then there should be criminal proceedings against them."

- Shocking, not surprising

Frank, a local resident, described the Manchester incident as shocking but not surprising.

“If it had happened 30 years ago, nobody would have heard about it, people who did hear about it probably wouldn't have believed it. Now they can't deny it.”

Claiming that the police are tasked with protecting "a segment" of society, Frank said: “If that means trying to divide people through racist violence, they'll do it every bit as much as the fascists that we're opposing today will.”

What happened at Manchester Airport will not lead to any change in the police, Frank said, arguing because this has been going on for centuries.

Another local resident, Kate, a member of the Socialist Workers Party, expressed similar sentiments. “I'd be very surprised if they weren't. I don't think that the police would behave that way if it was a white person on the ground.”

“I think there have been instances where the police have arrested people quite unnecessarily because of their politics, because they're anti-Zionist, because they're anti-racist.”

Stuart, another citizen, commented: "I think they want the police to be nasty," explaining that the police behave this way towards everyone without discrimination.

He noted that the police showed their harsh face even to the English during strikes and protests.

“They did it against the miners, they were very bad to the miners, they're English, in the 80s. They were hitting them with everything.”

On July 23, footage on social media showed a person on the ground being kicked in the head and face by police, and another person being kicked and elbowed by an officer.

Manchester Police confirmed the suspects attacked three officers. The officer involved in the attack was removed from duty.