A man has been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence (Image: X)
A man has been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence after a Quran was allegedly burned in central Manchester on Saturday.
The suspect, 47, was taken into custody by police after the incident near the Glade of Light memorial.
The memorial commemorates the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack.
The incident was live-streamed on social media.
Greater Manchester Police said in a statement: “At around 2:45pm today (Saturday 1 February 2025) we arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence following an incident in the city centre at the Glade of Light memorial.
The incident occurred near the Glade of Light memorial (Image: Getty)
“He remains in custody currently for questioning.
“Anyone with further information is asked to call 101 quoting incident 3713 of 31/01/2025.”
Assistant Chief Constable Stephanie Parker said, “We understand the deep concern this will cause within some of our diverse communities and are aware of a live video circulating.
“We made a swift arrest at the time and recognise the right people have for freedom of expression, but when this crosses into intimidation to cause harm or distress we will always look to take action when it is reported to us.”
This comes just days after an anti-Islam activist who burned a Quran was shot dead in Sweden.
Salwan Momika, who set fire to an Islamic holy book in 2023, died in an apartment near the capital, Stockholm.