Groups of men reportedly burned a Pride flag and threatened to assault people with a knife in two separate incidents at a trans picnic event in Manchester on Thursday (3 April).

Trans Mutual Aid Manchester reported that at its Trans Picnic in the Park community event on Thursday, the group was approached on two separate occasions by groups of men “intent on harassing, intimidating, and threatening our friends and picnic-goers”.

The group claimed the first incident involved a pair of men tearing down a Progress Pride flag, burning it in front of the group, and “threatening to violently assault one of our members with a knife”. In the second incident, a group of men reportedly shouted abuse and tore down the remaining trans and non-binary Pride flags the group had.

The group reportedly that nobody was physically harmed thanks to the “intervention of several of our members”, and the incidents were reported to the police, adding that “this was an obvious attack on our community, perpetrated by those who know they will face no repercussions for their attack.”

“To those outside the trans community, we hope this can be something of a wake-up call to know the kind of rampant abuse we face by those who know they can attack us freely,” the group added.

“Trans Mutual Aid Manchester will not stand for this, and we call on those outside our community to take steps to defend us, and to those within our community we promise that we will be taking increasing steps to ensure the safety and security of our events and our community.”

Figures from October 2024 showed a “deeply worrying” number of hate crimes against trans people reported in the UK, with 4,780 transphobic hate crimes reported in the year ending March 2024.

“A rise in hatred towards one marginalised group is harmful to everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community, and has a corrosive effect across society,” Stonewall chief executive Simon Blake said at the time. “We stand together with everyone affected by hate crime, whatever community they are part of.”

PinkNews has contacted the Greater Manchester Police for comment.

Anyone who has witnessed or experienced a hate crime is urged to call the police on 101, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit the True Vision website. In an emergency, always dial 999.

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