Name: 760 Days in Sanctuary: Guided Tours
Start: 2026-05-03T13:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-05-03T14:00:00+01:00
Location: Ascension Church Hulme

Join us for a guided tour of a new exhibition at Ascension Church Hulme which served as home to Britain's longest public sanctuary campaign.
About this Event

In December 1986, Sri Lankan activist Viraj Mendis entered the Church of the Ascension Hulme, seeking sanctuary from deportation. For the next 760 days, the church became both refuge and rallying point, defended around the clock by the Viraj Mendis Defence Campaign (VMDC) - a movement that united local residents, students, and radicals in one of Britain's longest sanctuary campaigns.

The 760 Days in Sanctuary exhibition is hosted by the Ascension Church Hulme with support from the Arts & Humanities Research Council and the University of Manchester. Attendees are advised to bring a smart phone to access oral histories included in the exhibition.

We have also created an educational resource for those that would like to learn more about the campaign which can be accessed here.

Photo credit: Viraj Mendis on the People's March from Manchester to London, July 1986. Courtesy of Chris Procter. The Viraj Mendis Anti-Deportation and Sanctuary Collection, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre, Manchester, GB3228.118.