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LONDON: Widespread rioting broke out in Leeds on Thursday night triggered by children being forcibly removed from their family by social services, and there were also riots in east London connected to the protests in Bangladesh.
In Harehills, a deprived area of East Leeds, where many immigrants, mostly British Pakistanis, live, a double-decker bus exploded in flames after being set on fire, police cars were smashed up and turned over and fires lit on the road.Bricks and stones could be seen being hurled at police vans and police who were initially not in riot gear had to retreat, together with fire crews, leaving residents to fend for themselves. Rioters threw wheelie bins, a mattress and a fridge into the fires and could be seen laughing filming it on their phones.
The Leeds rioting was sparked when social services arrived at a house in Harehill at 5pm to take away children from a family. When social services were met with hostility, police were called. Initially residents were protesting at these children being removed by setting fires and throwing stones.Crowds then gathered and it escalated into spontaneous widespread rioting.
Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said: “As the disorder escalated, damage was caused to vehicles and several fires set. We continually assessed the situation and took the decision to deploy specialist public order officers who then came under a barrage of bricks and missiles from a large group. A decision was taken to withdraw these officers temporarily as it was evident that the police was their sole target. This allowed for further community mediation to take place in order to calm the situation.” The police and fire crews returned after midnight.
Throughout the night several arrests were made in relation to the disorder and further arrests will be made over the next few days. Harehills witnessed major riots in 2001.
In Whitechapel, East London, home to a large ethnic Bangladeshi population, shortly before 8pm police were called to two groups of men fighting in the street, throwing objects at each other as one group tried to storm a building thought to be connected to a political party in Bangladesh. Two police officers sustained injuries and a number of cars were also damaged. One man was arrested. The Met Police said: “It is believed that the disorder was linked to protests in Bangladesh in recent days that have resulted in fatalities.”
In Harehills, a deprived area of East Leeds, where many immigrants, mostly British Pakistanis, live, a double-decker bus exploded in flames after being set on fire, police cars were smashed up and turned over and fires lit on the road.Bricks and stones could be seen being hurled at police vans and police who were initially not in riot gear had to retreat, together with fire crews, leaving residents to fend for themselves. Rioters threw wheelie bins, a mattress and a fridge into the fires and could be seen laughing filming it on their phones.
The Leeds rioting was sparked when social services arrived at a house in Harehill at 5pm to take away children from a family. When social services were met with hostility, police were called. Initially residents were protesting at these children being removed by setting fires and throwing stones.Crowds then gathered and it escalated into spontaneous widespread rioting.
Assistant Chief Constable Pat Twiggs said: “As the disorder escalated, damage was caused to vehicles and several fires set. We continually assessed the situation and took the decision to deploy specialist public order officers who then came under a barrage of bricks and missiles from a large group. A decision was taken to withdraw these officers temporarily as it was evident that the police was their sole target. This allowed for further community mediation to take place in order to calm the situation.” The police and fire crews returned after midnight.
Throughout the night several arrests were made in relation to the disorder and further arrests will be made over the next few days. Harehills witnessed major riots in 2001.
In Whitechapel, East London, home to a large ethnic Bangladeshi population, shortly before 8pm police were called to two groups of men fighting in the street, throwing objects at each other as one group tried to storm a building thought to be connected to a political party in Bangladesh. Two police officers sustained injuries and a number of cars were also damaged. One man was arrested. The Met Police said: “It is believed that the disorder was linked to protests in Bangladesh in recent days that have resulted in fatalities.”
