A man has been taken to hospital after being stabbed in Salford Quays after a protest took place over the ongoing conflict in Syria.
Greater Manchester Police were called to Exchange Quay, off Trafford Road, after a 23-year-old was stabbed at a protest linked to an ongoing flare-up between the new interim Syrian government and a Syrian-Kurdish militia known as the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Police confirmed that more than 300 people attended a “organised and peaceful protest” at Exchange Quay before the stabbing took place.
The force said the victim had been taken to the hospital for treatment, where he is recovering.
No arrests have been made in connection with this incident and “enquiries are ongoing.”
GMP have launched an appeal following the stabbing at Exchange Quay and have asked that anyone with footage or information about the incident come forward as soon as possible.
Chief Superintendent David Meeney of the City of Manchester said: “Whilst we will always work to facilitate peaceful protests, we will act against those who engage in disorder and create disruption for our communities.
“We are taking preventative steps to ensure this disorder does not continue. Officers are engaging with local people and listening to their concerns, with additional patrols on the streets to make sure this type of criminality does not continue.
“The Section 60 powers are in place to assist us in doing just that, and have been expanded to other areas of the city for everyone’s safety.
“There is also a young man in hospital recovering from stab injuries, and we are appealing for anyone who witnessed this incident at Exchange Quay, or who has any footage or helpful information to come forward with this.
“Anyone with information is urged to contact Salford CID on 0161 856 5235 quoting the log number 3222 of 21/01/2026. Alternatively, you can submit information via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
The protest at Exchange Quay is believed to be connected to the active conflict in Syria, where the country’s interim government is working to forcefully subsume the SDF Syrian-Kurdish paramilitary group, which currently controls regions bordering Turkey.
Syria’s government, led by former Jihadist and now president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, overthrew long-serving dictator Bashar Al-Assad after 13 years of civil war in 2024.
Since becoming the country’s de facto leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa has led an offensive to unify a fragmented country. He has captured parts of north-eastern Syria that have been held by the SDF for more than a decade.
Before this month’s advancement, caused by a breakdown in negotiations between the government and the SDF about integrating and merging its forces, the Kurds controlled nearly a third of the country.
The two sides have been fighting for more than two weeks, with Al-Sharaa’s government seizing territory.
On Tuesday, the Syrian military announced a new four-day ceasefire with Kurdish-led forces, following the collapse of a previous agreement. But this was met with no response from the SDF.
Despite the government’s advancement, the country remains divided, with portions of southern Syria, including the province of Suweida, under the control of Druze Militia – the military arm of a religious sect whose faith stems from Isma’ilism.
