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2024 Harehills riot

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The 2024 Harehills riot 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, the torching of a double-decker bus, setting fires to the streets of the community, and widespread disorder in the streets.

2024 Harehills riot
West Yorkshire Police temporary command post set up close by in Oakwood
Date18 July 2024
Location
Harehills, Leeds, England
Caused byAnti-police sentiment
MethodsRioting, arson, assault
Parties
Local residents of Harehills

Harehills has been described as a socioeconomically deprived area[1][2][3] with a demographic plurality of British Pakistanis[4][5][6] and the sizable minority of Romana Gypsies.[7][8]

Background

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Harehills is a suburb of Leeds known for its diverse population, according to the 2021 census for the ward, 38.2% of people are Asian, 34.5% are white, with black, mixed, Arab and other ethnic groups comprising the rest of the community.[9] British people of Pakistani origin make up a plurality of the area's population.[4][5][10][6] The area also has a large Romana Gypsy community, who are often classified as Eastern European in demographic studies.[7]

Harehills and Gipton ward has the highest levels of unemployment in Leeds.[11] In 2020 the ward was described as the second most-deprived in Leeds.[12] In 2023 the crime rate was 209.85 per 1000 residents.[4] In 2024 West Yorkshire Police reported that crime in the ward had reduced by 40% over the preceding year.[13]

Incident

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The incident started on Luxor Street; some half a mile north of where the violence peaked.

At 5pm on the 18 July 2024, West Yorkshire police responded to a residential street disturbance sparked by a dispute over four children from a residential family, being taken into care by social services.[14][15][16] The spark has been described as a "family incident" and a "child protection matter" handled by social workers.[17] West Yorkshire Police were called to an address on Luxor Street in Harehills to respond to a disturbance involving agency workers and children.[18] According to The Guardian, 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.[19]

A sizable crowd of hundreds of people began attacking a police car after witnessing an altercation between social services, the police and a local family. 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 X and TikTok, drawing widespread attention to the incident.[20] Cars in the area were reported to be set alight, and two First Leeds buses were attacked, one of which was set on fire.[18][19] The police were ‘outnumbered’ and ‘ran away’ from riot disorder. A number of locals perceived a lack of emergency personnel at the scene for most of the night.[21]

The riot largely began with members of the Romana Gypsy community, but later escalated with members of the British Pakistani community joining in at later stages. Richard North noted that the latter rioting seems to be a "matter of mischief-making than a political statement. Noticeably absent were any Palestinian flags or chants of “from the river to the sea”".[22][23]

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.[24][25]

Reactions

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A gathering of residents the day after on Bellbrooke Street

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.[18]

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."[18] Press conference revealed that Ms. Brabin had participated in a meeting with "key partners," during which they developed a plan to ensure the safety of Harehills. "The imams and the faith leaders are also getting the message out there that we need to stay calm and ensure we don't have what we saw, which was frightening, horrible and unacceptable." she said in the Press conference.[26]

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.[18]

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."[18]

British 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.[27][4] The Independent described how Ali was a "hero", who formed a "human shield" to stop people adding further combustible material to fires.[28]

A resident of the area, Graham Newby, described that he was heartbroken saying: "“It has become a no-go zone. It is horrible. It is horrendous. I remember in the ’70s and ‘80s I used to come down here and go to the butchers, the meeting point, but now it’s horrible".[29][unreliable source?]

Camilla Tominey, a journalist who studied at Leeds University, wrote that "the rioting in Leeds, harassment of MPs, and mob rule all add up to an alarming picture for the country". In particular she pointed to the notable number of young people involved in the riot, viewing this as a sign of decline and decay in British society.[30]

Follow-up

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In response to riot, the city's council has commenced an "urgent review" concerning its management of child care case. Tense Friday evening shows members of the Romanian and Roma community having a vigil and chanting “please bring the kids back”. Meanwhile, the children's parents have declared a hunger strike until their four children are returned. This decision comes after discussions with members of the Romanian and Roma community, who have accused the authorities of "systemic racism and discrimination" in managing the case involving a family from their community.[31]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Schwarzl, Lena; Vetter, Eva (16 January 2020). "Translanguaging and Multilingual Texts as a Resource in Superdiverse Classrooms". OLBI Working Papers. 10. doi:10.18192/olbiwp.v10i0.3822. ISSN 2369-6737.
  2. ^ "Health profile overview for Gipton and Harehills ward" (PDF). Gipton and Harehills Ward 2020.
  3. ^ "Harehills Primary School". www.schoolratings.co.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "Gipton & Harehills - areainsights.co.uk". Retrieved 18 July 2024. Cite error: The named reference ":2" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b "Violent riots break out in Leeds and in east London". The Times of India. 20 July 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b "'We're All Getting Attacked': How Disorder Broke Out in East Leeds". Novara Media. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b Bailey, Liz (June 2019). "Health Needs Assessment of Gypsies, Travellers and Roma Groups in Leeds 2019" (PDF). Adults and Health Directorate – via Leeds City Council.
  8. ^ VoI, Team (20 July 2024). "UK: Leeds Burn As Cultures Clash". Vibes Of India. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Gipton & Harehills (Ward, United Kingdom) – Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  10. ^ Evans, Alex (18 July 2024). "Leeds streets in flames as violent thugs spark chaos and hurl bricks at police". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  11. ^ Callaghan, J. (2015). Changing Landscapes: Gipton and Harehill (Leeds): A Superdiverse Inner City Ward. Working Papers in Translanguaging and Translation (W.P. 7) - University of Birmingham
  12. ^ "Health profile overview for Gipton and Harehills ward" (PDF). Gipton and Harehills Ward 2020.
  13. ^ "Crime down in Harehills by 40 per cent following focus on serious and organised crime". West Yorkshire Police. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  14. ^ Mackley, Elizabeth (19 July 2024). "Police issue more details on what sparked night of violence". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  15. ^ Vinter, Robyn (19 July 2024). "'We're in it together': how unrest in Leeds escalated – and was defused". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  16. ^ Penna, Dominic (19 July 2024). "Farage under fire after calling Leeds riot 'politics of the subcontinent'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ Kershaw, Tom (18 July 2024). "Harehills latest as police car overturned and attacked — Updates". Leeds Live. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  21. ^ Robson, Steve (19 July 2024). "Leeds police 'outnumbered' and 'ran away' from riot disorder, locals claim". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Politics: the morning after | Turbulent Times". www.turbulenttimes.co.uk. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  23. ^ Tominey, Camilla (19 July 2024). "Britain stands on the brink of a terrifying new era of violence, crime and disorder". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  24. ^ "'Hero' councillor formed 'human shield' to stop violence escalating in Leeds riots". The Independent. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  25. ^ "'We're All Getting Attacked': How Disorder Broke Out in East Leeds". Novara Media. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  26. ^ "Leeds: Arrests made after 'night of chaos' in Harehills". BBC News. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  27. ^ "UK: Far-right blames Muslims and 'third world' migrants for Leeds unrest". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  28. ^ "Hero councillor formed a human shield to stop violence escalating in Leeds riots". The Independent. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  29. ^ "Leeds riot: Harehills local 'heartbroken' as new details emerge". www.gbnews.com. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  30. ^ Tominey, Camilla (19 July 2024). "Britain stands on the brink of a terrifying new era of violence, crime and disorder". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  31. ^ Bird, Steve (20 July 2024). "Romanians chant 'please bring the kids back' as Leeds council launches 'urgent review'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
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