Emergency services faced attacks and a police van was set on fire in Glasgow during Bonfire Night celebrations, while separate disorder erupted in north-east England. A senior police chief has condemned the unacceptable violence that led to multiple arrests and injuries among emergency personnel.
Violence Across Scotland
Ch Supt David Robertson of Police Scotland reported a significant reduction in overall problems compared with the previous year. The force had deployed its largest number of officers since a visit by Donald Trump.
Despite the heightened presence, a police officer and an ambulance worker sustained minor injuries after attackers threw fireworks at them while they responded to an injured man on Greenside Street in Glasgow. A police van was subsequently gutted by fire in the same street in the Provanmill area, where authorities arrested a 16-year-old boy. Meanwhile, in south-west Edinburgh, the Scottish fire and rescue service had to withdraw after crowds of young local people targeted them while they attempted to extinguish bin fires.
Authorities also recorded fireworks being thrown at the public in Clydebank, alongside attacks on fire crews in the Knightswood and Castlemilk areas of Glasgow, Cumnock in Ayrshire, Larkhall in South Lanarkshire, and Blackridge in West Lothian. Police additionally responded to the Kirkton area of Dundee following reports of a large gathering setting illegal fires.
As part of Operation Amberlight, Police Scotland attempted to prevent a repeat of last year’s violence in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Local councils implemented localized bans on fireworks in both cities, and police issued 21 dispersal orders in Edinburgh alongside 13 in Glasgow.
Robertson noted a decrease in serious calls needing specialist support, with public order officers deployed to only a single location for a relatively short duration. However, he emphasized that attacks on police officers, firefighters, and the Scottish ambulance service remained completely unacceptable and terrifying in certain areas, confirming that individuals involved will be identified and brought to justice.
Scotland’s education secretary, Màiri McAllan, told BBC Radio Scotland that emergency services were well-prepared and that most displays proceeded without issue. Nevertheless, she described any ongoing disorder related to fireworks as entirely unacceptable.
To bolster security, Police Scotland brought in assistance from forces in England and Wales, marking the largest officer deployment since Trump’s visit to Aberdeenshire. Reinforcements arrived from forces as far away as Avon and Somerset, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, and south Wales.
The Scottish fire and rescue service handled over 800 calls concerning fireworks and bonfires between 5.30pm and 11.30pm on Thursday. Police figures showed 1,024 fireworks-related calls between Halloween and 5 November, marking an increase from 833 calls in the previous year, although incidents requiring specialist public order responses declined nationwide.
Unrest in North-East England
In England, Northumbria police arrested six people in North Shields near Newcastle upon Tyne after individuals threw fireworks and bricks at officers and vehicles, injuring several personnel.
The unrest began when a large crowd gathered outside a supermarket following false rumors that the building was going to be converted into a house of multiple occupancy. Two men aged 25 and 27, a 27-year-old woman, and three teenage boys remained in custody on suspicion of violent disorder.
Ch Supt Daniel Whyte stated that he anticipated further arrests following the shocking and completely unacceptable scenes. He warned that anyone involved should expect a visit from the police.
Writing on social media, the mayor of north-east England, Kim McGuinness, expressed disgust at the pre-arranged violence carried out by a minority. She pointed out that the perpetrators mistakenly believed they were attacking a planned HMO rather than a supermarket, stressing that dangerous misinformation and such behavior must stop immediately.
