Unrest broke out on Thursday reportedly over children being taken into care by government agents in Luxor Street in the Harehills area of Leeds in England, prompting authorities to issue an advisory for residents to stay indoors.
A police car was flipped on its side and a bus was set on fire alight after unrest broke out.
Visuals from the scenes appeared to show people throwing objects at a police vehicle before it was pushed over in Harehills. The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, condemned the “shocking scenes and attacks”, saying “disorder of this nature has no place in our society.”
Police said they were called to an address in Luxor Street at 5pm on Thursday and found “ongoing disturbance” involving agency workers and children, according to The Guardian. Some reports said that the unrest was led by migrants in the area.
More people then gathered and the agency workers and children were taken to a safe place.
Yorkshire police assured an investigation into all criminal offences, including damage to vehicles from fire. “We want to make it very clear that the full weight of the law will be brought against those responsible,” the report quoted police as saying.
The mayor of West Yorkshire informed that no one was seriously injured and, in a warning of sorts, asked those using "this to inflame community tensions" to "think again.”
A bus was set afire on Foundry Approach, with its flames reaching beyond the height of red brick houses and creating thick black smoke that could be seen for miles. The bus was in flames for several hours as local tried to douse the blaze with water.
As the crowd built, West Yorkshire police said: “More officers have been deployed to the area to assist with the management of this incident. Some road closures are also being implemented and people are advised to avoid the area at this time.”
Riesa, a pharmacy dispenser who did not want to give her last name, and who lives off Harehills Lane, said: “They were attacking police cars, throwing things at the police cars – anything they could pick up off the floor really. Rocks from the garden, rubbish, drinks, anything.
“Looking out the window, you can see that people were attacking cars that were just at the traffic light trying to go past them, but they wouldn’t turn around because I think they were getting quite scared because there were so many people, Riesa was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
