Clonezone Manchester, a prominent gay superstore situated on Sackville Street in Manchester’s Gay Village, has been targeted three times in six weeks. The latest attack saw two men on a motorbike smash its windows, leading its owners to accuse Greater Manchester Police (GMP) of failing to protect them from what they describe as premeditated, targeted hate crimes.
The owners believe that their store has been targeted simply because it is a “queer business,” and they view the attacks as symptomatic of wider issues. They say that Manchester’s Gay Village, centred around Canal Street, has “always been a safe space,” but is now becoming less so.
Jeremy Hoad from Friends of Manchester’s Gay Village, a local group, expressed shock at the attacks, especially since the latest incident occurred just two hours after GMP officers met with community leaders to discuss the situation. Hoad emphasized that the attacks worry people in the LGBTQ+ community and make them angry that such violence is still happening.
GMP says that it believes the attacks are “hate-motivated,” but officers are still investigating. Two people were caught on CCTV riding a red motorbike, one of whom jumped off to smash Clonezone’s windows. Ch Insp Adam Wignall has promised the owners ongoing support and a thorough investigation into these incidents.
Clonezone’s owners have been touched by the “outpouring of love and support” they have received since the latest attack, and they have shared images on Twitter showing a GMP car on the street outside the shop as the incident happened.
Although the police have yet to officially confirm that these attacks were hate crimes, many in the LGBTQ+ community believe that they were. As Manchester’s Gay Village faces the possibility of becoming less safe, people are calling on the police to do more to protect this historically important area.
