UK Riots: How Did A ‘Family Incident’ Lead To Massive Protests In Leeds?

A burnt out car in the Leeds suburb of Harehills, Friday July 19, 2024. (Picture source: AP)

On Thursday evening, Leeds' Harehills area in the United Kingdom experienced a violent disturbance. Local police described the situation as a ‘serious disorder incident.’ The unrest reportedly began after police and local government workers intervened in a 'family incident,' prompting residents to flood the streets in protest. 

The unrest started around 5 p.m. According to the latest report by AP, the situation is now under control. The large crowd gathered in the street caused significant property damage. Footage shows people throwing objects at a police vehicle before it was overturned on Luxor Street, east of the city center. Rioters set a bus ablaze and overturned a police car. 

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who is responsible for law enforcement in Britain, said, “Disorder of this nature has no place in our society.” She conveyed her dismay at the shocking events that unfolded in Leeds overnight. 

What Led To The Unrest In Britain’s Leeds? 

As per reports from local media, riots erupted following the removal of four children from their family by social services. The removal occurred after one of the children was hospitalised for an injury inflicted by a sibling.  

The clash began with a family affair earlier in the day, "There was a family incident earlier in the day that the police attended, and our officials attended that a lot of the community got concerned about," Tom Riordan, chief executive of the Leeds City Council stated in an interview with the BBC.  

Riordan did not provide specific details about the incident but said that authorities always intervene when children are at risk. He suggested the community ‘probably misinterpreted’ the situation. 

According to the police, they initially responded to a report of a disturbance involving children and "agency workers." As more people arrived at the scene, authorities decided to move the children and workers to a safer location. 

Despite this, the situation continued to escalate, with crowds gathering and pockets of disorder breaking out. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported, police said.

Riots in Leeds , England commenced at 5:00 p.m. 17th July. Apparently sparked by social workers removing children from someone’s home. News narrative is that Leeds is an under privileged area . https://t.co/G0k2apeqOX — Clossy100 (@claire_losada) July 19, 2024