The unrest is reportedly due to actions by a local childcare agency that separated children from their parents and placed them in childcare homes.
A riot broke out in the sleepy city of Leeds in the United Kingdom (UK) after a large crowd gathered in the city center, causing widespread chaos. The rioters set a bus on fire and also attacked police vehicles. Viral videos on social media show children among the rioters.
The unrest is reportedly due to actions by a local childcare agency that separated children from their parents and placed them in childcare homes. People took to the streets in protest against these actions.
According to West Yorkshire Police, they were called to an ongoing incident at Luxor Street, Harehills, at 5 p.m. on Thursday. On arrival, officers "found an ongoing disturbance which involved some agency workers and some children."
Soon, a crowd started to gather at the location after which officers decided to remove the agency workers and the children to a safe place. However, tensions grew and "pockets of disorder" broke out in the area.
Purported footage shared on social media showed a large crowd of people on the street and a police car being flipped onto its side while a bus was being set on fire.
"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," the West Yorkshire Police said in a statement.
"No injuries have been reported and enquiries are ongoing at the scene," it added.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper took to social media platform X to condemn the violence. She posted: "I am appalled at the shocking scenes and attacks on police vehicles & public transport in Leeds tonight (Thursday night). Disorder of this nature has no place in our society. My thanks go to West Yorkshire police for their response. I am being kept regularly updated."
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