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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 which comes under the Gipton and Harehills ward, 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, a bonfire of debris blocking a main road 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
For the riot in 2001, see 2001 Harehills riot.

Background

Harehills is a diverse working-class suburb of Leeds situated less than two miles from the city centre.[1]

Part of the Gipton and Harehills ward, this ward the highest levels of unemployment in Leeds.[2] In 2020, it has been described as the second most socio-economically deprived area in Leeds;[3][4][5] 74.2% of households in the area were deprived in 2021.[6] In 2023, the most frequently reported crimes were violence and sexual offences, public order violations, and incidents of criminal damage and arson.[5] In 2023 the crime rate was 209.85 per 1000 residents.[7] In 2024 West Yorkshire Police reported that crime in the ward had reduced by 40% over the preceding year.[8]

According to the 2021 census for the wider ward, 38.2% of people are Asian, 34.5% are white, 17.4% are Black, with mixed, Arab and other ethnic groups comprising the rest of the community.[9] Within the total population, 23.7% are self-define as English, Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish, whilst 22.6% are Pakistani or British Pakistani.[7][10][11] According to the data, 41.9% of the population identified as Muslim, 37% identified as Christian, and 17.4% reported having no religion.[9] The community is diverse, with a local resident describing the area as: "Romanian, Gypsy, Pakistani, Asian – this is what it means to be from Harehills".[11] Leeds' Roma community is mostly based in the area, although there are also Roma communities living in Beeston and Armley.[12]

Though there have been violent disturbances by numerous groups from across ethnicities and political affiliations, negative perceptions of the British Romani Gypsy and British Muslim communities, including associations of the communities with violent disturbances, are commonplace across the UK, and mimic similar sentiments across Europe.[13][14] The two communities poll among the highest for negative perceptions in the UK, similar to the rest of Europe, and far ahead of the British Black and British South Asian communities.[15][16][17][18][19] These two communities are often associated with socioeconomic and educational difficulties.[20][21] Concurrently, Islamophobia is seen as a key plank of populist right wing parties across Europe, who often use various migration issues and violent disturbances by people of Muslim origin to "whip up division".[22]

Incident

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

At 5pm on 18 July 2024, West Yorkshire police responded to a residential street disturbance in the Gipton and Harehills ward sparked by a dispute over four children from a residential family, being taken into care by social services.[23][24][25][5] The spark has been described as a "family incident" and a "child protection matter" handled by social workers.[26][27] 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.[28]

A crowd 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.[citation needed] Videos and images of the riot quickly spread on platforms like X and TikTok, drawing widespread attention to the incident.[29] Cars in the area were reported to be set alight, and two First Leeds buses were attacked, one of which was set on fire.[27][28] Videos posted on social media from the riot show people speaking Romanian while overturning a police car.[30][31] iNews reported that police were 'outnumbered' and 'ran away' from riot disordert.[32] A number of locals perceived a lack of emergency personnel at the scene for most of the night.[32]

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.[33][11]

Reactions

 
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, with the BBC noting Arif's comment on the "an ongoing situation currently in Harehills... We are asking everybody in the area please stay at home at this moment in time."[27]

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."[27] During a press conference on 19 July, Ms. Brabin discussed meeting with "key partners," during which they developed a plan to ensure the safety of Harehills, with "imams and the faith leaders [...] 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."[34]

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.[27]

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."[27]

The far-right and social media users blamed the riots on the local Muslim community. 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.[35][7] The Independent described how Ali was a "hero", who formed a "human shield" to stop people adding further combustible material to fires.[36]

Camilla Tominey, a journalist who studied at Leeds University, wrote in The Telegraph 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.[37]

Aftermath

In response to the riot, the city's council has commenced an "urgent review" concerning its management of child care case. Tense Friday evening shows members of the Gypsy 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 Gypsy Roma community, who have accused the authorities of "systemic racism and discrimination" in managing the case involving a family from their community.[38]

Nine Romanian citizens were detained following the street riot on 18 July, according to Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 21 July. Of these, eight were later released.[39] Police have charged Romanian man aged 37, with violent disorder and arson that endangered life after he allegedly set a bus on fire during the unrest.[40][39] Romanian Consulate in Manchester said they are maintaining communication with the Romanian family affected by child custody measures, as well as with British authorities.[39]

Factors leading up to the riots may have included economic instability and unemployment, mental health issues and general health issues, Islamophobia, poor relations between the police and the community, and general economic deprivation.[41] Right-leaning, libertarian online magazine Spiked argued that due to the reported diversity of the rioters, that integration and multiculturalism may have played a role in the unrest.[42]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Leeds: Harehills residents condemn 'out of control' disorder". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ "Health profile overview for Gipton and Harehills ward" (PDF). Gipton and Harehills Ward 2020.
  4. ^ "Harehills Primary School". www.schoolratings.co.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Cobham, Tara (19 July 2024). "Leeds riots – latest: Arrests made over Harehills disorder as council urgently reviews 'family matter' case". The Independent. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Harehills riot: a community ravaged by austerity fights back". Counterfire. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Gipton & Harehills – areainsights.co.uk". Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ a b "Gipton & Harehills (Ward, United Kingdom) – Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  10. ^ Elgot, Jessica (27 April 2017). "Theresa May lays bare ambition to capture Labour heartlands". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  11. ^ a b c Gent, Craig (19 July 2024). "'We're All Getting Attacked': How Disorder Broke Out in East Leeds". Novara Media.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Race hate and prejudice faced by Gypsies and Travellers in England" (PDF). Friends, Families, and Travellers. October 2023.
  14. ^ "University of Birmingham survey reveals Islamophobia is the posh person's prejudice". University of Birmingham. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Roma people and Muslims are the least tolerated minorities in Europe | YouGov". yougov.co.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  16. ^ Roundtree, Joseph (February 2018). "A review of survey research on Muslims in Britain" (PDF). IPSOS Mori.
  17. ^ Murray, Jessica (25 January 2022). "Middle-class Britons more likely to be biased about Islam, finds survey". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Chapter 4. Views of Roma, Muslims, Jews". Pew Research Center. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Dinner table prejudice – ACERT". 23 November 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  20. ^ "The Pakistani Diaspora in UK: Evolution, Integration and Challenges" (PDF). Centre for Migration, Remittance and Diaspora. November 2018.
  21. ^ Goodier, Michael (9 April 2023). "Social barriers faced by Roma, Gypsies and Travellers laid bare in equality survey". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Britain's far right is booming on Elon Musk's Twitter". euronews. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  23. ^ Mackley, Elizabeth (19 July 2024). "Police issue more details on what sparked night of violence". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ Kershaw, Tom (18 July 2024). "Harehills latest as police car overturned and attacked — Updates". Leeds Live. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  30. ^ RFE/RL. "Romanians Appear To Be Involved In Mass Riot In Leeds". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  31. ^ "Nine Romanians detained after disturbances in British city of Leeds, one charged". Romania Insider. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  32. ^ a b Robson, Steve (19 July 2024). "Leeds police 'outnumbered' and 'ran away' from riot disorder, locals claim". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  33. ^ "'Hero' councillor formed 'human shield' to stop violence escalating in Leeds riots". The Independent. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  34. ^ "Leeds: Arrests made after 'night of chaos' in Harehills". BBC News. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  35. ^ "UK: Far-right blames Muslims and 'third world' migrants for Leeds unrest". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  36. ^ "Hero councillor formed a human shield to stop violence escalating in Leeds riots". The Independent. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  37. ^ 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.
  38. ^ 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.
  39. ^ a b c "Nine Romanians detained after disturbances in British city of Leeds, one charged". Romania Insider. 22 July 2024. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  40. ^ "Harehills Disorder: Man Charged with Arson and Violent Disorder". West Yorkshire Police. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  41. ^ "Social tensions spark Islamophobic rhetoric: What we know so far about the riots in the Harehills area of Leeds, U.K." www.logicallyfacts.com. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  42. ^ "We need to talk about the Harehills riot". www.spiked-online.com. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
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