Riot in Harehills, Leeds, England triggered by social workers taking away Romani children
The Harehills riot of July 2024 was one of the most serious outbreaks of civil disorder in Leeds in recent decades, prompting dozens of arrests.
Key Facts
- Date
- 18 July 2024
- Trigger
- Romani children taken into care by social services
- Total arrests by April 2025
- 74 arrests
- People jailed
- 9 persons
- Juveniles given non-custodial sentences
- 4 persons
- First prison sentences
- October 2024
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Social services and police removed four children from a Romani family in the Harehills area of Leeds on 18 July 2024. Residents gathered, angered by the intervention and filming police, creating a confrontational atmosphere that rapidly escalated into open disorder.
Rioters overturned a police car, set fire to a double-decker bus, and built a debris bonfire blocking a main road. Police were forced to temporarily retreat as violent confrontations spread through Harehills streets. Participants came from varied backgrounds despite widespread but inaccurate social media claims attributing the unrest solely to the Pakistani community.
Arrests began within days of the riot. By April 2025, 74 people had been arrested, 24 charged, nine jailed, and four juveniles sentenced without custody. The disorder prompted scrutiny of social media misinformation and of policing and child protection practices in the area.
Political Outcome
74 arrests, 24 charged, 9 jailed, and 4 juveniles given non-custodial sentences by April 2025; first prison sentences handed down in October 2024.