An evening that commenced with an overturned automobile, conflagrations, and law enforcement in retreat culminated with inhabitants utilizing wheeled containers to extinguish the infernos.
The day began as a mundane Thursday in Harehills, a densely packed urban enclave in eastern Leeds, characterized by rows of redbrick terraced homes. In this area, one of the UK’s most disadvantaged wards, police callouts were routine. However, the events that unfurled as the evening progressed were beyond anyone’s expectations.
By 5 PM, West Yorkshire police had responded to a disturbance on a residential street, reportedly stemming from a conflict over the removal of children from a Roma family by social services. A crowd quickly assembled, tensions soared, and the officers, vastly outnumbered, had to withdraw. They abandoned a police vehicle, which was subsequently vandalized and overturned.
Within hours, riot police arrived to control the growing turmoil. Yet, witnesses noted that their presence seemed to exacerbate the chaos. People of various ages and ethnicities hurled bricks and bottles at the officers, clashing with riot shields as the police retreated into their vans.
“When the police came, they were besieged from all directions,” said Robert Shaw, a local resident, gesturing toward the three roads converging at the Compton Centre, a central community hub and library in Harehills.
Five hours after the initial call, as nightfall set in, a double-decker bus was ablaze, marking the larger of two fires near Harehills Lane, one of the main thoroughfares in the densely populated district.
The flames leapt to the roof height of a nearby school uniform shop, where the bus had halted hours earlier amidst the commotion, after passengers and the driver evacuated. Soon after, two men ignited the abandoned bus.
By 10 PM, over a hundred onlookers were bathed in an orange glow from the fire. Their faces displayed fear, concern, and even excitement. Ash particles floated down, and occasional cries of “Get back!” rang out as the fire flared, sending plumes of acrid smoke that stung eyes and lungs.
The intense heat kept the crowd at bay, but loud explosions intermittently punctuated the roaring inferno, causing people to scream and scatter. Someone was throwing gas canisters into the fire, a perilous act with no police presence to intervene.
Most onlookers were local residents from the surrounding streets, varying in age and background. Some were older individuals, painfully reminded of past unrest; others were younger, drawn by the spectacle, many recording the scene on their phones.
A local youth worker commented to the Guardian, “The community here remembers the consequences of past mistakes,” referring to the riots in Harehills in 2001, where 26 cars were torched, and 25 men were subsequently imprisoned.
A boy in a balaclava, contributing to the bus fire, told the Guardian he was 16, born years after those earlier riots.
Meanwhile, on social media, far-right groups were stirring up animosity against the Muslim residents, particularly targeting Mothin Ali, a Harehills Green Party councillor, falsely accusing him of participating in the riots. Far-right agitator Tommy Robinson falsely claimed that footage showed Ali rioting, though Ali had been seen earlier attempting to quell the disorder and protect police officers.
By 11 PM, Ali was at the bus fire, perspiring and calling for unity. He was surrounded by other residents—Muslim men and people from various backgrounds—who were trying to restore order. Isa Ali, a local, emphasized, “Online narratives are misrepresenting this as a Muslim issue, which it is not.”
An older youth worker mentioned, “A number of BAME youths have formed barriers to prevent further violence.”
Ali took a wooden crate from a man about to throw it onto the fire, asserting, “This is our neighborhood.” The youth worker added, “Think before you act.”
Harehills and Gipton ward ranks among the 3% most deprived nationally. The stark image of a food bank sign on a redbrick building was captured here. Two-thirds of homes are rented from private landlords or housing associations. Austerity has hit hard, leaving many with little to lose, feeling neglected for years.
Ali told the Guardian, “Communities like ours have been let down, and when we’re ignored, this is the result.”
Residents voiced frustration over the apparent absence of Labour politicians, reflecting broader discontent with the party on various issues. Although Labour councillor Salma Arif had been present earlier, only Ali stayed until the fires were extinguished. “Where’s the Labour party?” one man repeatedly asked.
East Leeds MP Richard Burgon tweeted that he was returning from Parliament, while West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin expressed shock at the scenes. Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged the government’s full support to West Yorkshire police in their investigation.
In an early Friday update, police described the disorder as instigated by a “criminal minority intent on disrupting community relations.” Several arrests were later made.
Many locals on Thursday night felt abandoned by the police. One man remarked, “The police don’t care about our area. They’ve just left us to handle it.“
However, West Yorkshire police’s strategy of monitoring from a distance and via helicopter seemed to prevent further escalation.
Around midnight, residents began using buckets and Biffa bins to douse the bus blaze. The crowd moved briefly, and cheers erupted as a young man named Mohammed entertained with backflips, defusing the tension. Music played from phones as the flames dwindled.
Ali reflected to the Guardian, “Harehills is a vibrant mix of cultures. We may not be wealthy, but we stand together. People bringing water in wheelie bins to extinguish a bus fire—that’s community spirit, that’s Harehills.”
