page_title: 2001 Harehills riot
section_title: Start of rioting
hierarchical_section_title: 2001 Harehills riot / Start of rioting
caption_attribution_description: English: Banstead Park, Harehills, Leeds LS8 West Yorkshire
context_page_description: The Harehills riot took place in the multi-ethnic Leeds district of Harehills in 2001. The riot occurred after the alleged wrongful arrest of an Asian man by the West Yorkshire Police which was alleged to have been heavy-handed. More than 100 Asian, White, and Black youths were together involved in the six-hour-long rioting against the police. The West Yorkshire Police later stated that any attempt to legitimise criminal behaviour by saying it is connected with racial tension or the style of policing is just an excuse for young males committing crime on the streets. It was the first rioting in Leeds since the Hyde Park riots of 1995. The Police Officer involved in the alleged wrongful arrest was questioned, and later cleared of any wrongdoing.
context_section_description: Sporadic unrest had already begun in the area when a hoax 999 call was made at 20:25 saying a police officer had been hit by a petrol bomb.  The police could not locate this, however the call lured them into Banstead Park, where they were met by a barricade of burning washing machines and furniture, looted from a nearby second hand shop.  It was in Banstead Park where most of the confrontation took place, although the disturbances spread onto Roundhay Road, Roseville Road and smaller residential streets towards the south side of Harehills.  By the time darkness had fallen the rioting had begun, and continued into the early hours of the following morning.
caption: Banstead Park, where the riots began.
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