Violence in Glasgow and Provanmill
Seven people were arrested in Glasgow after a series of disturbances involving fireworks. In the Provanmill area, a 16-year-old boy was arrested after a police vehicle sustained serious damage in Greenside Street. Police and ambulance crews responded to reports of an injured man on Greenside Street in Glasgow shortly before 8pm, only to face attacks from fireworks that set a police vehicle alight and caused minor injuries to staff. Scotland’s Education Secretary Mairi McAllan said any attacks on the public or emergency services were "completely unacceptable". While the vast majority of displays went ahead without problems, the violence against responders created a difficult situation for local authorities. McAllan told the BBC’s Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme that most displays went ahead without any problems, and that was to be welcomed.
Emergency services face widespread fireworks attacks
| Category | Reported Figure |
|---|---|
| Fireworks-related calls (Oct 31 to Nov 5) | 1,024 |
| Fire service calls (17:30 to 23:30) | Over 800 |
| Edinburgh dispersal orders | 21 |
| Glasgow dispersal orders | 13 |
Fire crews faced attacks in the Knightswood and Castlemilk areas of Glasgow, Cumnock in East Ayrshire, Larkhall in South Lanarkshire, and Blackridge in West Lothian. In Clydebank, people launched fireworks at members of the public, causing concern for bystanders. A 15-year-old in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, required hospital treatment after a firework exploded and damaged his eye. In Dundee, a public order unit arrived in the Kirkton area after more than 100 young people gathered and started a fire on the road. Reports indicate a crowd of approximately 50 people launched fireworks during this disturbance. In Edinburgh, youths blocked a road on Oxgangs Road North around 17:30 and threw fireworks at officers, though no injuries were reported. Firefighters also had to withdraw from bin fires in southern Edinburgh due to antisocial behaviour. In Wester Hailes, the fire service attended a fire in a grassed area near houses in Murrayburn Park shortly after 19:00. No firefighters suffered injuries and no serious damage occurred to fire engines. No one faced charges in relation to breaches of Firework Control Zones. Edinburgh issued 21 dispersal orders while Glasgow issued 13. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received more than 800 calls relating to fireworks and bonfires between 17:30 and 23:30.
Police deployment and official response
Police Scotland conducted Operation Amberlight, which involved the largest number of officers since the visit of US President Donald Trump last year. To manage the disorder, the force called in assistance from police in Avon and Somerset, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, and South Wales. Between 31 October and 5 November, the force received 1,024 fireworks-related calls, which was an increase from the 833 calls received in 2025. However, the number of incidents requiring specialist public order responses fell. Ch Supt David Robertson said that "Police officers, ambulance staff and firefighters are there to protect communities – not be the target of violence." He added that investigators would work to bring those responsible to justice. Police monitored the situation using a wall of CCTV cameras trained across Edinburgh and Glasgow. Teams from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Scottish Ambulance Service, the Scottish government, and Edinburgh city council joined the coordinated response. Officers in the strategic coordination centre at Fettes watched updates from Operation Moonbeam as public order units moved to increasing numbers of locations. The atmosphere in the strategic room remained calm. This deployment represented one of the most complex and demanding deployments in recent memory.
