2024 Harehills unrest
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (July 2024) |
| 2024 Harehills unrest | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 18 July 2024 | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | Anti-police sentiment | ||
| Methods | Rioting, arson, assault | ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
The 2024 Harehills unrest was a public disturbance that took place in the Harehills area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The unrest involved violent confrontations between local residents and police officers, resulting in the overturning of a police car, torching of double decker bus, fires set in the streets of the community, and widespread disorder in the streets.
Background
[edit]Harehills is a suburb of Leeds known for its diverse population, with a significant number of residents from ethnic minority backgrounds, particularly British Asians of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin.[1] The area has historically faced socio-economic challenges, including high unemployment rates, high crime and public disorder.[citation needed]
Events of 18 July 2024
[edit]On the afternoon of 18 July 2024, West Yorkshire Police were called to an address on Luxor Street in Harehills at around 5:00 p.m. to respond to a disturbance involving agency workers and children.[2] As police attempted to manage the situation, more people began to gather at the scene, with some residents becoming angry and filming the police, leading to increased tension and the eventual outbreak of violence.[3]
According to Tom Riordan, the chief executive of Leeds City Council, a "family incident" sparked the unrest, and the actions of the police and social service workers were "misinterpreted".[4]
The unrest
[edit]The unrest began when a crowd of hundreds of people began attacking a police car. Footage shared on social media showed individuals using scooters, pushchairs, bikes, and bats to assault the vehicle. The police car's windows were broken, the car was overturned, and additional officers were dispatched to the area to attempt to control the situation. Videos and images of the riot quickly spread on platforms like Reddit and TikTok, drawing widespread attention to the incident.[5]
Cars in the area were reported to be set alight, and two First Leeds buses were attacked, one of which was set on fire.[2][3]
Throughout the evening, Gipton and Harehills Councillor Mothin Ali was present at the scene of the riot attempting to calm the violent situation. Videos were posted during the night, on TikTok and X, of him stopping those present from throwing wooden pallets and wheelie bins onto the fire.[6][7]
Other locations
[edit]Earlier in the day there was unrest in London where members of the British Bangladeshi community engaged in violent protests to show solidarity with rioters in their native Bangladesh. Social media users saw similarities with the disorder in London and that of Leeds, though the causes were not the same.[8]
Reactions
[edit]Salma Arif, Councillor from Gipton and Harehills, posted on X platform on Thursday standing along with a police inspector, urging people to stay at home. "There's an ongoing situation currently in Harehills" continues "We are asking everybody in the area please stay at home at this moment in time." Ms Arif stated.[2]
Tracy Brabin, the mayor of West Yorkshire, mentioned she had been "reassured no one has been seriously injured but suggest those who are using this to inflame community tensions to think again."[2]
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, a Member of Parliament from Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley of West Yorkshire, expressed her dismay saying "appalled at the shocking scenes". "Disorder of this nature has no place in our society," she stated.[2]
Richard Burgon, the Member of Parliament for Leeds East, posted on X: "I am on my way back to Leeds from Parliament and am in touch with the police and concerned residents about the on-going incident in Harehills." The MP continued, "The police say no injuries have been reported but are advising people to avoid the area at the moment if possible."[2]
A number of far-right politcians and social media users blamed the riots on the Muslim community; around 40% of Harehills are British Muslims predomintantly of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin. Muslim Green councillor Mothin Ali, who was at the scene trying to calm the situation and urging the police to speak in Urdu, faced online smears and received death threats after the news coverage. [9][10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ https://observatory.leeds.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Gipton-and-Harehills-ward-2016.pdf
- ^ a b c d e f Moss, Alex; Ingall, Tom (18 July 2024). "Bus destroyed and police car flipped in Leeds disorder". BBC News. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ a b Vinter, Robyn; Badshah, Nadeem (19 July 2024). "Police car turned over and vehicles set alight in disorder in Leeds". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ Watling, Tom (19 July 2024). "Leeds riots - latest: Harehills violence triggered by 'family incident' as hero councillor calmed disorder". The Independent. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ Kershaw, Tom (18 July 2024). "Harehills latest as police car overturned and attacked — Updates". Leeds Live. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "'Hero' councillor formed 'human shield' to stop violence escalating in Leeds riots". The Independent. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "'We're All Getting Attacked': How Disorder Broke Out in East Leeds". Novara Media. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "Riots In London's Leeds as Bangladesh Quota Protests Reach UK". Newsx. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "UK: Far-right blames Muslims and 'third world' migrants for Leeds unrest". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "Gipton & Harehills - areainsights.co.uk". Retrieved 19 July 2024.