A homeless man who staged an 10-hour rooftop protest at the Ducie Bridge pub has been jailed for eight weeks.
Chris Blaine, 41, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to eight weeks in prison following a hearing at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Thursday morning.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of resisting a court officer executing a process to repossess.
The incident came as police and bailiffs ordered the squatters in the derelict pub, bought by development group NOMA last year, to leave the building on Tuesday.
Blaine eventually came down from the roof at about 7.30pm.
During his protest, Blaine demanded that council leader Sir Richard Leese visit the pub to discuss housing policy.
He also refused to come down despite being urged to by police negotiators.
Following the eviction, the homeless people then set up camp on a grassy area of land opposite the pub, land also owned by NOMA and the Co-op.
As bailiffs evicted them from the nearby grassy area on Thursday afternoon, there were ugly scenes when brawls broke out between homeless people and protestors.
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There were no arrests but about 20 staff remained to guard the grassy area last night.
Following the eviction, the group then set up camp on the pavement outside the Ducie Bridge.
The area is a public highway and is thought to be owned by Manchester council.
Coun Paul Andrews, executive member for adult health and wellbeing at Manchester council, said: “We are closely monitoring the situation and our officers will continue to offer help and support to any individuals who are genuinely homeless and require accommodation.”
The pub, which first opened in 1923, closed in August, and is thought to be earmarked for demolition with NOMA set to build offices on the site.
Squatters took over the The Ducie Bridge on Corporation street
NOMA, part owned by the The Co-operative Group, is a 20-acre, £800m scheme to create offices, homes, shops and leisure amenities, with the first phase being The Co-op’s new £100 million headquarters.
The firm went to Manchester county court on September 12 to obtain a High Court writ to evict the squatters from the pub.
NOMA said the the squatters were being evicted ‘for their own safety’ as there is asbestos within the building.
But bailiffs only arrived about a month later, on Tuesday.
The pub, on a busy junction with Victoria Station and Manchester Arena nearby, closed in August last year.
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