A car was found burnt out in the Leeds suburb of Harehills on Friday, July 19, 2024, after a disturbance the previous evening. Authorities in Leeds have reported that calm has been restored following a night of disorder. The unrest began when police and local government workers responded to a “family incident,” which led to residents taking to the streets in protest.
| Photo Credit: AP
Several arrests have been made after a double-decker bus was set on fire and a police vehicle was overturned amid stone-pelting and disorder as a riot broke out in Leeds, northern England, over what the local council has described as a “family incident”.
“Throughout the night several arrests were made in relation to the disorder and further arrests will be made over the next few days,” West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said on Friday.
Twiggs reported that during the riot on Thursday night, specialist public order officers aiding social services were met with a volley of bricks and projectiles from a large crowd. Consequently, a decision was made to temporarily pull back these officers as it became clear that they were the exclusive target of the police.
“Police then returned to the area with fire colleagues to extinguish the remaining fires which were self-contained and didn’t pose a wider risk. By this point the crowd had diminished and officers were able to fully restore order,” he said.
Far-right Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is facing a backlash after he claimed the clashes represented the “politics of the subcontinent”. Labour MP for Leeds Alex Sobel accused him of “inflaming a situation with misinformation”.
The Labour councillor for Gipton and Harehills, Salma Arif, told LBC that the incident was not linked to the ethnicity or religious beliefs of the people involved, stressing that it was an “isolated family incident” that led to “spontaneous” disorder.
“It has quietened, it is calm. We have already started the clean up on the ground,” Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan told the BBC on Friday.
In response to inquiries about the catalyst for Thursday night’s riots, he stated: “A domestic incident earlier in the day, which was attended by police and our officials, raised concerns among the local community and seemed to be the trigger for the groups of people… We always step in when children are at risk. The incident was likely misinterpreted.” Previously, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed her dismay on social media over the appalling events and the assaults on police vehicles and public transport throughout the night, as West Yorkshire Police swarmed the Harehills area of Leeds to stabilize the situation.
“Disorder of this nature has no place in our society,” said Cooper.
Pointing to the statement, a No 10 Downing Street spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “He would echo that the scenes that we saw last night were shocking and disgraceful. And disorder of this nature has no place in our society.
“That’s why he would like to thank West Yorkshire Police and the emergency services for their swift support. And the police have our full support in carrying out their investigations and taking the strongest possible action against perpetrators and keep the public safe.” Social media footage showed hundreds on the streets, including some incidents of men attempting to torch public transport vehicles. The police said there have been no reports of any serious injuries and warned that the “full weight of the law” will be brought against those responsible for what they have termed as a “serious public order incident”.
“We would strongly discourage residents from speculating on the cause of this disorder which we believe has been instigated by a criminal minority intent on disrupting community relations,” a West Yorkshire Police statement said.
“Officers are also reviewing footage which has circulated on social media showing offending. All criminal offences, including damage to vehicles from fire, will be fully investigated by detectives from Leeds CID and the force’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team,” the statement added.
West Yorkshire Police are setting up a “specialised website” to allow reports to be made to encourage the public to share information and footage from the disorder.
“Such criminal behaviour will not be tolerated and I am in touch 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 footage of criminal behaviour, I would ask for this to be passed on to the police,” said Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire.
“I am relieved that nobody was seriously hurt in this incident – we will provide any support we can to the people of Harehills following the violence perpetrated in their community,” she said.
