Giggling girl live-streams teenage rioters smashing up taxi in Middlesbrough
Young rioters in Middlesbrough were shown in a TikTok live-stream roaming the streets and smashing the windows of a taxi.
A girl can be heard giggling in the background as she filmed the group walking in the road looking for targets to attack.
One of the rioters, wearing black clothing and a mask, raises a shout of ‘yes lad!’ as he smashes a window of a new build home.
The TikToker then cheers as another youth shouts ‘get the taxi!’ as they spot the car parked on a residential street.
Two rioters with their hoods up are then shown hurling projectiles through the windows of the cab in the live feed broadcast yesterday afternoon.
While most of the crowd, numbering around a dozen, have their faces obscured, another girl can be seen looking to the side as she walks in front of the camera.
A teenage couple’s TikTok account where the footage was posted has since been deleted, along with a connected Facebook profile.
The scenes were part of nationwide, far-right violence that has erupted as supposed anti-immigration protests in the aftermath of the Southport knife attacks descended into disorder.
The clip was shared by anti-racists on X, including Nick Lowles, CEO of national anti-racism group Hope Not Hate.
He wrote: ‘An absolute breakdown in law and order in Middlesbrough.
‘Racist gangs on the streets checking the ethnicity of car drivers.
‘Other groups walking through residential areas attacking houses and cars of ethnic minorities.
‘Police seem totally absent from these videos. Disgraceful.’
Crowds described as ‘far-right thugs’ by the prime minister have been involved in the ugly scenes across the country since Southport mosque and police outside were first targeted on July 30.
Other cities affected include Blackburn, Bristol, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and Sunderland.
In Rotherham, a mob attacked police and started a fire at a Holiday Inn Express said to have housed asylum seekers.
Cleveland Police said in the early hours of this morning that officers would maintain a visible presence in Middlesbrough through the coming days.
The total number of arrests made at the time of statement was 43, with a full investigation underway.
Speaking on Sunday, Assistant Chief Constable David Felton said: ‘Cleveland Police continues to face scenes of violence in Middlesbrough.
‘The actions of those conducting this mindless violence is not something we will tolerate and we will utilise all available powers to drive this out of the town.’
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