A burnt-out car in the Leeds suburb of Harehills, Friday, July 19, 2024, following an outbreak of disorder on Thursday evening. Officials in the northern English city of Leeds say order has been restored after a night of unrest that began when police and local government workers intervened in a “family incident” and residents took to the streets in protest. File. | Photo credit: AP
Several arrests have been made after a double-decker bus was set on fire and a police vehicle overturned amid stone pelting and disorder as a riot broke out in Leeds, northern England, over what the city council has described as a “family”. incident†.
“Several arrests were made during the night in connection with the disorder and further arrests will be made in the coming days,” West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said on Friday.
In an update on the riot on Thursday evening, Twiggs said specialist public order officers assisting social services came under a barrage of stones and rockets from a large group and a decision was made to officers temporarily withdraw “because it was clear that the police were their only target”.
“Police then returned to the area with fire brigade colleagues to extinguish the remaining fires, which were isolated and did not pose a greater risk. At this point the crowds had subsided and officers were able to fully restore order,” he said. .
Britain’s far-right reform leader Nigel Farage is facing a backlash after claiming the clashes represented the “politics of the subcontinent.” Labor MP for Leeds Alex Sobel accused him of “fomenting a situation with misinformation”.
Gipton and Harehills Labor councilor Salma Arif told LBC the incident was not linked to the ethnicity or religious beliefs of the people involved, insisting it was an “isolated family incident” that led to “spontaneous” disorder .
‘It has become calmer, it is calm. We have already started clearing the site,” said Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council BBC on Friday.
When asked about the trigger for the riots on Thursday evening, he added: ‘There was a family incident earlier today where the police and our officers were present and which raised concerns among the local community and that seemed to be the cause concern for the groups. of people… we always intervene where necessary when children are in danger. It was an incident that was probably misinterpreted, I would say.†Earlier, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said on social media that she was “shocked†at the shocking scenes and attacks on police vehicles and public transport that night then West Yorkshire Police flooded the Harehills area of Leeds to bring the situation under control.
“These types of conditions have no place in our society,” Cooper said.
Referring to the statement, a spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at 10 Downing Street: “He reiterated that the scenes we saw last night were shocking and disgraceful. And disorder of this nature has no place in our society.
“He would therefore like to thank West Yorkshire Police and the emergency services for their quick support. And the police have our full support as they conduct their investigations and take the strongest possible action against perpetrators and protect the public.” Social media footage showed hundreds of people on the streets, including several incidents of men attempting to set fire to public transport vehicles. Police said there have been no reports of serious injuries and warned that the “full weight of the law” will be brought against those responsible for what they have called a “serious public order incident”.
“We would strongly discourage residents from speculating about the cause of this condition, which we believe has been caused by a criminal minority seeking to disrupt community relations,” said a statement from West Yorkshire Police.
“Officers are also reviewing images circulating on social media that show offensive images. “All criminal offences, including damage to vehicles by fire, will be fully investigated by detectives from Leeds CID and the police Homicide and Major Inquiry Team,” the statement said.
West Yorkshire Police is setting up a ‘specialist website’ where reports can be made to encourage the public to share information and images of the disorder.
“Such criminal behavior will not be tolerated and I am in contact with West Yorkshire Police for regular updates on the progress of their investigation. “I would urge everyone to refrain from speculation on social media and if members of the public believe they have images of criminal behavior, I would ask that they pass this on to the police,” said Tracy Brabin, the mayor of West Yorkshire.
“I am relieved that no one was seriously injured in this incident. We will provide all possible support to the people of Harehills following the violence in their community,” she said.
