Heywood protest draws crowd amid community tensions over HMOs and immigration

Dozens marched through Heywood town centre this afternoon, Saturday, 30 August, in a controversial protest against local HMOs and immigration policy, with demonstrators expressing anger over child safety, policing, and housing.

The protest saw residents gather at Heywood Memorial Gardens before marching several laps around Heywood's one-way system, ending at the office of Elsie Blundell, MP for Heywood and Middleton. 

At least four speakers addressed the crowd, including former council leader, Colin Lambert, as he addressed the protest, but emphasised that he had no role in organising the event.

I've been called far right before, but I’ve never been far wrong,” Lambert told the crowd, responding to previous criticism linked to his past appearances at public meetings. He used his speech to defend national identity, referencing Wales, Scotland, and Ireland’s cultural pride. “When we set up New Labour in 1997, they adopted the Union flag as a symbol. It wasn’t far right then, and it isn’t far right now. It’s our nation, our flags, our pride.”

Lambert also highlighted his background in education, stating: “I came out of retirement to teach children, and no one’s going to take that away.”

Attempting to keep the protest grounded in lawful conduct, Lambert urged attendees to remain peaceful: “When we held a peaceful protest last time, you were fantastic. Let’s show the council and the government in Heywood that we can do it peacefully, we can do it properly, and our voices will be heard.”

He closed his speech with a nod to his own longstanding political voice, saying: “I was told I was noisy as a baby. I’m 67 now, and no one’s ever shut me up, and they won’t today or in the future.”

Another speaker, who identified himself as a “caring father”, referred to widely circulated internet videos allegedly showing children being attacked in schools. He claimed the state had failed to protect children and warned that if action wasn't taken, residents might be forced to “take the law into our own hands”.

Multiple speakers voiced concern over the use of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Heywood, alleging that their proximity to schools and nurseries was unsafe. A woman identifying herself as a former special needs teacher in Rochdale referred to historic grooming gang abuse and claimed “the state failed” children. One speaker described the situation as a battle against “pure evil”, suggesting that major institutions had been “infected”.

Chants of “Keir Starmer is a w#nker” and “Tommy, Tommy Robinson” were heard during the march. Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is a far-right activist and founder of the English Defence League (EDL). While one organiser attempted to deflect accusations of racism, admitting he had previously joined in the chants, the invocation of Robinson’s name remains politically charged. The speaker said, “I don’t know 100% about the guy… all I know is he stands for some of the things I stand for.”

Another speaker, identifying as PAGUK Billy and not yet associated with Reform UK, but stating he is going through the membership process, claimed that “50 men on bail for Operation Lattice” were currently walking the streets in Heywood, Middleton, and Rochdale, though no official confirmation of this figure has been provided.

While some in attendance called for unity and peaceful action, others made claims without substantiation and invoked extreme language. Protesters were urged not to engage in disorder, with warnings that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were monitoring attendees following prior incidents.

The protest remained peaceful, though tensions ran high. The speeches drew mixed reactions on social media, with some supporting the message and others condemning the event for inciting division.

Greater Manchester Police were present throughout the event, though no arrests or major incidents were reported at the time of this publication.