Evicted Manchester Homeless Set Up Camp Meters From St Peter’s Square

Manchester staff evicted tents Wednesday. This happened in a dawn operation, and the action followed a court order. This order let them reclaim land, specifically the land outside the town hall. Some tents went into a bin lorry, and the council stated these were abandoned.

Many residents are refugees. They got plastic bags for their stuff, and bailiffs told them to leave. Some moved near the Midland Hotel, which is close to the original spot.

Modsher Mohammed, age 30, is from Sudan, and Omar Osman, age 46, is from Eritrea. Omar helps Modsher communicate by translating. Modsher needs housing to work, and these tents are by a tram line.

Modsher now lives by the Midland Hotel. Trams and fans create noise there. Omar speaks five languages, and he’s homeless in a car park. He’s been in the city 10 months, having moved from other towns. They feel they have a right to live there.

The council told them to rent housing, but they feel the council should help. They feel pushed around. The order was only for St Peter’s Square, and the council says camps are not good. Camps are not a suitable place to get support.

The council said the court order was successful; it ended months of encampment. They assessed the people’s housing needs, and vulnerable people got temporary housing. Others got advice and support. People could pack up their tents, and only abandoned tents were thrown away. The council states help is available for homeless people. St Peter’s Square was not a safe place nor did it help with housing applications; furthermore, the tents impacted the town hall services. The council claims the issue is addressed now, and they will keep watching the new location.