Eight cops injured on Bonfire Night as riot police targeted with petrol bombs & fireworks on night of chaos
EIGHT officers were injured after riot cops were pelted with fireworks, bricks and petrol bombs during Bonfire Night chaos.
Shocking incidents unfolded in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow after hundreds of youths took to the streets with explosives.
Police were called to the Niddrie area of Edinburgh at around 4.40pm after locals were left “terrified” when around youngsters targeted vehicles and houses in the area with fireworks.
But their focus quickly turned to police as officers arrived at the scene on Hay Avenue.
Video footage from the area shows officers in riot gear standing in a line as around 100 youths lob explosives at the cops’ ring of steel.
Cops set up a cordon by closing off the main road that runs through Niddrie – with buses and cars being diverted away from the area.
Some residents had gathered early in the evening to have a fireworks display and planned to sit and enjoy food and drinks.
One local who lives near the street where the youths congregated told how the noise of the fireworks was “terrifying.”
Officers also raced to the Barmulloch area of Glasgow at around 9pm after a large rammy saw fireworks thrown at people in the streets.
The fight, which broke out on Quarrywood Avenue, involved two different groups of youths who were throwing explosives at each other.
Meanwhile, officers were pelted with bricks while on patrol along the streets of Dundee.
Two police vehicles were targetted in the Beauly Square area at 6.55pm while they were providing a visible presence to the local community following last year’s chaos.
Police Scotland has confirmed that a total of eight officers were left injured after the attacks across all deployments.
Luckily, they all sustained minor injuries.
Police have slammed the behaviour and said officers faced “unprecedented levels of violence while protecting communities from Bonfire Night disorder.”
They added that only a small number of arrests were made last night which was the result of the “significant challenges officers faced to ensure no harm came to communities”.
However, they are investigating the incident and confirmed that substantial pieces of evidence have already been gathered with more arrests anticipated to be made in the coming days.
Detectives investigating the attacks in Niddrie are also actively pursuing a number of individuals.
These are people that cops believe were providing local youths with fireworks and petrol bombs to target police.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, Gold Commander for Operation Moonbeam said: “The overwhelming majority of Scotland enjoyed Bonfire Night safely and responsibly, but once again, a minority of individuals have been responsible for an unacceptable and frankly, disgusting level of disorder that left communities alarmed and police officers injured.
“We took learning from last year’s operation and enhanced the level of Public Order resources available to local policing divisions to ensure we could get these assets into locations they were needed quicker, providing a more robust response to criminal incidents.
“The lower levels of disorder experienced in other parts of the country demonstrates that this approach was the correct one.
“Our partnership work ensured that there was a reduction in damage to public property and that, overall, the emergency services and wider communities were better protected.
“However, the violent nature of the situation witnessed in the Niddrie area of Edinburgh is extremely concerning, not least because it is believed young people were being actively encouraged and co-ordinated by adults to target officers while they carried out their duties.
“Police Scotland officers were subjected to unprecedented levels of violence, and yet they continued to demonstrate professionalism and dedication to keeping communities safe.
“I am both proud of, and grateful to, all of those who were on duty and put themselves in harm’s way to protect the public during this very challenging time.
“Investigations into the offences that arose throughout Scotland on Sunday evening are continuing and we will make every effort to ensure anyone who was involved is identified and brought to justice.
“If any members of the public believe they have information that can assist our inquiries, then please contact us via 101, or make an anonymous report to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay branded the youths in Edinburgh “thugs”, and council leader Cammy Day warned they would be prosecuted.
Mr Day said: “I’m appalled to see the scenes in Niddrie this evening. We’ve been clear that this sort of conduct is unacceptable.
“We’ve been working throughout the year in our communities to mitigate Bonfire Night-related disruption so it is extremely disappointing to see a minority of people behaving in this way.
“This reckless behaviour endangers lives and, like the majority, I share in their dismay and upset at this disgraceful behaviour.”
Mr Findlay said: “Such attacks on police officers are cowardly, reckless and dangerous.
“Police Scotland need sufficient resources to tackle these thugs.”
We told previously how around 100 youths launched fireworks at members of the public and vehicles in Edinburgh last year.
In 2022, a police vehicle was hit by a Molotov cocktail in Niddrie, and motorbike gangs raced through the area while fireworks were lobbed at the ground.
Terrified residents were warned to stay in their homes as eyewitnesses reported “masked gangs” piling rubbish in roads to target slowing vehicles in Niddrie.
And revellers were urged to shop yobs to prevent a repeat of last year’s Bonfire Night havoc.
The claim came after two PCs were injured last Halloween after yobs chucked bricks at their motor during trouble in Edinburgh.
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