FOUR city centre pubs had to be shut as St George’s Day celebrations threatened to turn ugly.
A crowd of around 200 gathered around Sinclairs Oyster Bar and the Old Wellington Inn in Shambles Square when a minority began making racist chants. One man, who appeared to be drunk, was escorted from the scene by doormen.
Pub owners closed their doors at 5.30pm and around an hour later the crowd dispersed. No arrests were made and it is thought the decision to close the pubs came from the owners.
Ten police officers - two on horseback - monitored the crowd from a raised platform next to Harvey Nichols.
Some of the revellers were bedecked in St George’s crosses and many wore red roses.
The atmosphere was mainly jovial as the crowd enjoyed the spring sunshine.
However, later in the evening two more pubs - The Brunswick and the Moon Under the Water - also closed after rowdy behaviour.
And on Deansgate a man was arrested on suspicion of assault after an attack outside the Hogshead pub. Police say the victim suffered minor injuries.
At least two other men were arrested in separate incidents in the city.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
CorneredAllTheLuck, Tameside (23/04/2009 at 19:14)
meldroo, Oldham (23/04/2009 at 19:35)
hodie, wiltshire (23/04/2009 at 19:46)
Mark, South Manchester (23/04/2009 at 20:55)
heptarchy, aha (23/04/2009 at 21:06)
one brian robson (23/04/2009 at 22:19)
David North M/C (23/04/2009 at 22:47)
However I do agree in making St Georges Day a special day and would like to see more minorities respect it and show that they want to be English, then we can move forward.
Laura Norder, Didsbury (23/04/2009 at 23:28)
trured, canada (24/04/2009 at 00:09)
waywardweastie (24/04/2009 at 02:24)
I mean were any of this minority challenged or told to shut it by the majority?
Give us more details please.
The stinking kipper, pinned under the table (24/04/2009 at 08:18)
Angie33 , Manchester (24/04/2009 at 08:48)
Go out and pick all the litter in your street.
Make your elderly neighbours garden nice and plant some flowers.
Challenge anti social behaviour.
Invite a lonely person to tea.
Listen to someone elses troubles.
Stop turning a blind eye to injustice,bullying and abuse.
Put the most vulnerable first.
Theres lots of ways to be English.
Dont trample weaker people in bus and train queues.
Have some manners.
What does the English flag now represent to people?
Have some backbone.
RIP Neil Hill
The stinking kipper, pinned under the table (24/04/2009 at 09:16)
How sad that the younger end have been brainwashed into thinking that if you are proud to be English then you are some kind of fascist. Blame the rabid socialist who appear to be running the show.
Your havin a laugh, Tameside (24/04/2009 at 09:32)
danny, WILMSLOW (24/04/2009 at 10:02)
Alcohol is a very big problem in Britain more domestic violence child abuse and crime are the result of to much alchol.
Raoul Duke, Decompression Chamber in Manchester (24/04/2009 at 10:50)
There are also a certain type of suited and slightly too short trousered morons (probably part of some old-boys club, Rotary\Masons) who only come out en-masse to celebrate that some bloke with a sword managed to topple a fictional animal...whatever happened to a nation of animal lovers, eh?
Billy Brag (24/04/2009 at 11:12)
It is another attempt by the constantly negative, counter productive media to create a negative feeling towards this celebration like they do about every other British constitution.
They are determined to destroy everything British such as the royal family, our police forces, community confidence.....
FatTone, Manchester (24/04/2009 at 11:16)
The day was ruined for us by a minority group who should have been identified by the police and removed, we ended up wandering around Manchester and after a short time left fro home disappointed. Next year we will celebrate our patron saints day with a family BBQ.
Signed A Patriot.
The girl next door , North west (24/04/2009 at 11:22)
Bob Hope (24/04/2009 at 12:23)
Count Alucard, Whitby Bay (24/04/2009 at 12:27)
Esso Blue, Manchester. (24/04/2009 at 12:33)
Guten Tag, Stress Strabe, Manchester (24/04/2009 at 13:25)
Audenshaw mod, Audenshaw (24/04/2009 at 14:58)
Did you not realise that your name and location would appear at the bottom of your comment? Your first time in Manchester? Pull the other one and stop trying to stir up trouble by pretending to be a disgraced visitor to the city. Have you nothing better to do?
Count Alucard, Whitby Bay (24/04/2009 at 15:00)
A couple of weeks ago a terrorist bomb could possibly have exploded in the same area.
Then things would have turned ugly.