In Leeds, in the north of England, the visit of social workers to the Harehills area increased: fires were set and police cars were knocked down – the situation was so threatening that the British Home Office spoke of “terrible scenes”. Apparently the background was a visit given to them by employees of the youth welfare office who wanted to take some children into the care of the state because they were endangering the child’s welfare.
The police were already on the scene because there was “continuous unrest” with a group of Romanian temporary workers and their children: more and more angry people were gathering on the scene, and the authorities and the children had to be take to a “safe place”. ” by the officers to be. The police then monitored the riot area from above with a police helicopter that night.
Many stones were thrown, fires were set, recordings and videos on the Internet show rioters setting fire to vehicles – including a bus -, setting up barricades in the street and also setting fire. Right-wing populist influence Oli London commented on the events at X with the words: “England has fallen” and posted the corresponding posts. “Multiculturalism” has failed, says London.
Police asked people not to speculate and warned against false information online. Initial investigations suggest the riots were instigated by a “criminal elite” with the intention of disrupting community relations, West Yorkshire Police wrote. According to initial investigations, no one was injured.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the unrest, which included attacks on police vehicles and public transport, was a disgrace: “Those responsible must face the full force of the law,” she said.