Στη φωτογραφία: εντόπισαν ελεύθερους σκοπευτές της Αστυνομίας στην στέγη σε ειρηνική διαδήλωση ενάντια στην λιτότητα που πραγματοποιήθηκε στο συνέδριο των Συντηρητικών

Images of the armed cops have been circulating on social media but Greater Manchester Police said they were there for "observation" only

Watching on: Police defended the use of the snipers

Snipers have been pictured in Manchester city centre today as thousands march in protest to cuts, coinciding with the Conservative Party conference.

Armed police can be seen on the roof of the Great Northern complex in images that have been widely shared on social media.

Matt Richardson/Instagram

'Observation': Snipers watching march from Manchester rooftops at the anti-austerity rally

It is understood they were also situated on another city centre building.

Anti-austerity: Thousands came together to stand against Tory cuts

Twitter user Ben Whittingham posted an aerial photograph of a man looking through the sniper on top of a roof, the Manchester Evening News reports.

Video shows moment Tory delegate is EGGED during anti-austerity rally in Manchester

He captioned it: “Just a police sniper on roof of Tory party conference, which resembles a prison.”

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Ben Whittingham @BenWhittingham2

Just a police Sniper on roof of tory party conference, which resembles a prison #CPC15

3:35 PM - 4 Oct 2015

 
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Another user, Ben McNally, wrote: “Sniper team on the roof of great northern ... For safety.”

One tweeted: "It is drilled into deer stalkers to never use a rifle scope to 'observe' in this way.

"Only point at something if going to shoot."

James Lee wrote: "So why not use binoculars?"

Another, Chris Wynne, said: "Really, were all the binoculars broken?"

Police have defended the decision to use the marksmen saying they are there ‘purely for observation’.

March: Manchester saw a huge anti-austerity rally take place today

One user wrote: "We have now entered the new world order."

Five things we learned from Day One of the Tory conference

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “It is an ongoing observation of the biggest march that has ever been in Manchester because of the Tory Party conference.

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Protest: The march was largely peaceful, although one Tory delegate was egged

“But they are there purely for observation and supporting the police at the march as it’s a major public event.

“They are high up for that reason, to observe. And they [the guns] are used for their powerful sight, which is stronger than any pair of binoculars.

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"They are not there to shoot people.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/pictured-police-snipers-spotted-roof-6573383