Shocking video shows youths attacking police with bricks and fireworks in Bonfire Night disorder

Police Scotland said ‘officers in Edinburgh responded to various incidents of youth disorder in Niddrie, Sighthill and Moredun’. Lothian Buses withdrew several services across the city due to the antisocial behaviour. 

A video taken in Niddrie Mains Road shows large groups of youths targeting police officers with fireworks and throwing objects at police vans. The road was closed to traffic for around an hour and police encouraged members of the public to leave the area.

Later in the evening scores of youths could be seen emerging on Niddrie Mains Road, prompting police to assemble in riot gear to in an attempt to bring the disruption to an end.

At around 9pm, youths dressed in black wearing balaclavas began to set off fireworks in the direction of police officers - some holding fireworks in their hands as others set off fireworks from the road. 

Police Scotland said ‘the overall number of fireworks-related calls has remained consistent to previous years, however, the number of officers injured has reduced significantly, compared to last year’.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, Gold Commander for Operation Moonbeam said: “I firstly want to recognise the outstanding courage and professionalism of all of those emergency service workers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep communities safe.

“Their actions ensured that some of the challenging scenes we witnessed this year did not escalate into mass disorder, on the scale of what we experienced last year.

“Nevertheless, the levels of violence and aggression police officers, fire service and ambulance service personnel faced in some areas was wholly unacceptable and a significant investigative response is now underway to identify each and every one of those involved and bring them to justice.

“In advance of Bonfire Night 2024, local policing teams across Scotland have worked diligently with local authority and third sector partners to make positive in-roads with communities and identify some of the root causes that lead to disorder. In addition, this engagement has resulted in an increase in the intelligence we have received from the public, allowing us to take preventative enforcement action before crimes could occur.

“Throughout Operation Moonbeam, we have utilised all legislation and policing powers at our disposal and we will continue our discussions with local authorities and Scottish Government to explore further opportunities for reducing fireworks offences for next year and moving forward.”