Edinburgh Bonfire Night: Police vow to hunt down those responsible for violence and disorder

Police chiefs condemned the attacks on police and other emergency services as “wholly unacceptable”.

But they said the number of incidents was down on last year. And they said an increase in intelligence from the public had allowed them to prevent some crimes taking place.

Police officers came under attack in Niddrie on Bonfire Night | National World

Police Scotland’s Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, Gold Commander for Operation Moonbeam, praised the “outstanding courage and professionalism” of emergency service workers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep communities safe.

He said: “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.”

Police said that last year, “specialist resources” were deployed as part of Operation Moonbeam on 26 separate occasions across the country during the evening of November 5, but this year there were 18 deployments during the same period.

It said the overall number of fireworks-related calls remained consistent with previous years, but the number of officers injured had reduced significantly, compared to last year.

During the Operation Moonbeam deployment for October and November 2023, a total of 62 officers sustained injuries after being targeted with fireworks and other projectiles. To date this year, one officer was injured on Halloween evening after a brick was thrown through the window of her police vehicle in Edinburgh. But no further injuries to officers have so far been reported. One person has been arrested and charged in relation to the attack.

The police statement said: “During the evening of Tuesday, 5 November, officers in Edinburgh responded to various incidents of youth disorder in Niddrie, Sighthill and Moredun.

“Large groups gathered in these areas before throwing fireworks, bottles and bricks at police vehicles and other cars. Two fire service appliances were also attacked during this time. No injuries to emergency service workers or members of the public were reported.”

Elsewhere, the police said there were “pockets of disorder” in parts of Glasgow, with youths throwing fireworks at members of the public, vehicles and police officers, as well as four incidents where fire appliances were attacked while responding to calls, but with no injuries reported. And a pedestrian was injured by a pyrotechnic device ignited in a skate park in Peterhead.