 "Police cars flipped, bus on fire: What's behind the riots in UK's Leeds?")
A large group of locals in Leeds, the UK, set fire to a bus and flipped a police car last night, sparking a major riot.
In the inner city neighbourhood of Harehills, police are dealing with a “serious disorder incident” as several hundred locals, some of whom were wearing masks, fought with the cops and threw rocks and bricks at the police vans.
It is believed that social services removing four children from a family at around 5 pm on Thursday is what started the widespread disruption.
The riots in Harehills
The chaos erupted on a residential street last evening after officers were called to a disturbance in Luxor Street, involving “agency workers and children.”
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said in a statement on Thursday, “Officers attended and found an ongoing disturbance which involved some agency workers and some children. More people started to attend the location and a decision was made to remove the agency workers and the children to a safe place. A crowd started to gather and more officers were requested to attend the area, where some pockets of disorder were occurring.”
Social media footage showed crowds shattering the windows of a police car with a stroller, rocks and bicycles before the car was flipped on its side.
Numerous rioters recorded the unrest live on Facebook Live and TikTok, according to Sky News. A group of men were shown in one video lighting a big double-decker bus on fire using lighters. Images taken subsequently revealed the car to be a mangled, charred ruin.
Impact Shorts
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It is reported that the bus driver fled the blazing bus just before 9:50 pm. After 9 pm, no uniformed police officers seemed to be at the main disturbance scene; instead, they stayed a few streets away, but a police helicopter was keeping an eye on things from above, as per The Guardian.
Locals were also seen running towards a fire started in the middle of the road with a large fridge, which they hurled onto the blaze to the cheers of spectators.
People were tossing garbage onto a smaller fire that was kept ablaze at another road junction on Harehills Lane.
“More officers have been deployed to the area to assist with the management of this incident. Some road closures are also being implemented and people are advised to avoid the area at this time," the police said, as per The Telegraph.
“No injuries have been reported and inquiries are ongoing at the scene.”
Riesa, a pharmacy dispenser, said she witnessed “quite violent” scenes. She told PA she saw people throwing items at police officers and cars.
The 26-year-old, who lives off Harehills Lane, said, “They were attacking police cars, throwing things at the police cars – anything they could pick up off the floor really. Rocks from the garden, rubbish, drinks, anything.
“Looking out the window, you can see that people were attacking cars that were just at the traffic light trying to go past them, but they wouldn’t turn around because I think they were getting quite scared because there were so many people.
“There was a bus at the lights, obviously stopped by all these people as well. He was trying to get past, obviously he couldn’t, so he just reversed and just stopped basically outside my street, and just left the bus there because he felt he was in danger. I did see people throwing things at the bus before the driver had got out. Someone threw some glass at the bus.”
A spokesperson for First Bus in Leeds said, “Two of our vehicles have been caught up in the public disorder in the Harehills area of Leeds this evening. A team from our depot was quickly at the scene to provide support to our drivers and customers. One of our vehicles has been set on fire but was empty as the customers had earlier been transferred to another bus together with the driver. All services are being diverted from this area of Harehills for the safety of our staff and customers.”
The reason
A local, claiming to be acquainted with the family of East European descent involved, stated that the riot started as a protest against the children being taken away.
“I have heard it was a baby who was injured by a dibbling. But it was just an accident and it happened a while ago. The parents took the baby to the hospital for a check-up,” the person said, according to The Telegraph.
“They could not believe it when the hospital called social services. After all this time, the social workers then took the four children into care. They did not give the family a reason. They just said it was for the best. Those kids have never been harmed by their parents and that is why people got so angry. It was a protest.”
One local woman said that people were frightened by the onset of violence and urged the Army to step in.
Another resident said, as per The Telegraph, “The children were taken into care for safeguarding reasons but we do not know what they were. I have to say if innocent babies are harmed and social services did nothing, they would be accused of not doing their jobs. So they have acted and this is the outcome. It is disgusting.”
West Yorkshire Police believe the disorder was “instigated by a criminal minority intending to disrupt community relations” and urged residents to refrain from speculating on the cause.
As the turmoil spread, Leeds City Council’s local representative for the region, Labour Councillor Salma Arif, urged residents to stay inside. He said, “There is an ongoing situation currently in Harehills… we are asking everyone in the area to please stay home at this point in time.”
Several politicians, such as Reform Leader Nigel Farage, condemned the riots as “the politics of the subcontinent.” “The politics of the subcontinent are currently playing out on the streets of Leeds. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” the Clacton MP tweeted.
Leeds Central and Headingley MP Alex Sobel hit back at Farage, accusing him of “inflaming a situation with misinformation.” “This is a situation you know nothing about and no one has briefed you on. You are inflaming a situation with misinformation,” he wrote in a post on X, adding, “Politicians have a responsibility to not exacerbate situations, particularly with no knowledge of them. I expect you to issue an apology.”
Investigation
The police force issued a statement early this morning saying, “We wish to reassure residents that we are responding to the disorder incidents that have taken place, and that appropriate specialist public order resources are attending. Officers are also reviewing footage that has circulated on social media showing offending.”
”(All criminal offences), will be fully investigated by detectives from Leeds CID and the force’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team,” police said, according to Dailymail.
The spokesperson assured the public that those involved in the violent uprising would be held accountable for their actions.
The force added, “We want to make it very clear that the full weight of the law will be brought against those responsible.”
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin urged people using the disorder in Leeds to “inflame community tensions” to “think again.”
Meanwhile, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was “appalled at the shocking scenes” and attacks on police vehicles and public transport.
With inputs from agencies
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