Eid in the Park event in Manchester descends into chaos

Eid prayers planned to take place in a Manchester park descended into chaos after organisers moved the event inside because of wet weather.

Eid in the Park was due to take place at Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield to mark the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, following the end of Ramadan.

Photos and videos from the event showed scores of worshippers pushing and shoving in a lengthy queue outside the new venue.

A brawl is understood to have broken out at the gates of the event, organised by Makki Masjid and Alfurqan Mosque and Islamic Centre.

It was rearranged at the last minute after torrential rain and waterlogged grounds forced the organisers to move prayers indoors to the nearby Platt Lane Complex and dome instead.

Posting on Instagram before the event’s start, the organisers said: “Because of the continuous rain, Eid salah will be at the dome.

“Due to recent heavy rains, limited parking is available at Platt Fields Park due to waterlogged grounds. Please plan accordingly. Thank you for your understanding.”

Photos taken at the event show hundreds of people queuing to access the complex for the two main prayer sessions.

Footage shows six security staff members working together to force the entrance gate shut on a large frustrated crowd.

At one point, a member of staff wedges himself in the gateway to stop a man from getting past, while a brawl appears to take place further behind the gate.

Eid in the Park is one of the biggest gatherings of its kind in the north of England, with more than 20,000 people believed to have attended the Manchester event since its inception in 2017.

The start of Eid is dictated by the first sighting of the new moon and is traditionally celebrated with social gatherings and prayers over a two-day period.

A spokesman for the event told The Telegraph: “Last year, we had over 20,000 attendees at the Eid al-Fitr event, when the prayers were conducted in the park.

“This year, due to the persistent rain over the last few weeks and forecast of further rain on the day, we had to make a decision to move the prayers into the nearby Platt Lane dome complex, which has a maximum capacity of around 5,000.

“Hence, we scheduled two prayers assuming that attendance would be much lower as people from further afield would be less likely to attend.

“However, due to the growing success of the Eid in the Park events over the last few years, it is clear that the people have become addicted to the special community atmosphere that the event brings.

“We were surprised by the higher number of attendees, who were willing to wait for over an hour to catch one of the prayers. We had to schedule an extra prayer, which accommodated all those who wanted to pray.”