Leeds, the city that produced Spice Girl Melanie Brown and Harry Potter actor Matthew Lewis, has been trending nationwide this week, and for good reason. The city’s protests are in their third day, with hundreds of people taking to the streets of Harehills, England, on Friday to demand the return of children taken away by police.
The chaos began around 5pm BST on July 18 when local police were called to a report in Harehills, an area with high crime, anti-social behaviour and unemployment. After a social worker was made hostile in a child protection case, police were called in to help and the situation escalated. Adults and youths attacked a police vehicle with objects and stones, eventually overturning it in the street. On Thursday, members of the public were filmed setting fire to a double-decker bus, which was reduced to ashes.
Friday started relatively peacefully, but hundreds of people protested and chanted “bring the kids back”. Soon after, riots broke out in Leeds, the second day of protests. Crowds took to the streets just before midnight, and people streamed live on TikTok.
West Yorkshire Police has released a statement saying an arrest has been made in Leeds in connection with the incident.
“Several people have been arrested and five people are in custody in connection with the riot that occurred in Harehills last night. Officers from the Major Investigations Team are continuing to work at considerable speed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the riot and have deployed teams to arrest those who have been identified. We are using all available investigative tools to identify those involved, including traditional witness appeals as well as new and innovative ways to identify those responsible. We are making arrests and will continue to do so over the coming days. People will see a greater police presence in the area over the coming days, as expected. I would like to thank the many members of the public who have already provided vital information and I would urge anyone with information about those involved in the riot to please contact our officers,” said Deputy Chief Inspector Pat Twiggs.
This is not the first time that violence and ill will towards police in Leeds has spilled over into street violence. In 2001, after the wrongful arrest of Asian man Hossein Mia, hundreds of men went on a rampage through Hare Hills, burning more than 20 cars, injuring 23 police officers and a journalist, and burning down a shop, causing an estimated £500,000 in damage. Five men were later sentenced to prison.
In 2019, Harehills residents decided to stay home rather than go out on Bonfire Night when a mob armed with firecrackers and bricks besieged local police for five hours. Six police officers were injured in the attack and three rioters were later sentenced to a total of seven years in prison.
Home Secretary and Labour MP Yvette Cooper was quick to share a message on X (formerly Twitter) on July 18 condemning the riots in Leeds this week, but the politician has been silent since. “I am appalled by the shocking scenes in Leeds tonight and the attacks on police vehicles and public transport. This type of disorder has no place in our society. I would like to thank West Yorkshire Police for their response. I will be receiving regular updates.”
Leeds City Council and the Romanian and Roma community have now issued a joint statement, in which the council has agreed to carry out an urgent review of the incident and to work with Romanian and Roma-led organisations. The statement reads: “We would like to ask all the community to remain calm and ensure that no further disruption of the kind witnessed last night occurs. This disruption has caused fear and confusion in the community of Harehills. Local residents are devastated by what has happened and we want to ensure that the troubling scenes we have seen are never repeated. Such behaviour will have a long-lasting and detrimental impact on our community.”
An incident portal has been created where anyone with information, photographs or video footage (including dashcam or doorbell footage) relating to a disability can submit it via this link: Public Portal (mipp.police.uk).
Anyone with any information can contact West Yorkshire Police on 101.
