MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CRIME & JUSTICE

ANARCHY IN THE UK: Reading and Leeds Festival descends into chaos as armed cops step in to curb looting, arson

One of the dozen videos circulating on TikTok shows fires in the campsite and explosions as terrified attendees were seen running for their lives

LEEDS, ENGLAND: The last day of the Reading and Leeds Festival was marred by violence and looting at the campsite on Sunday, August 28. Many of the attendees took videos of the chaos at the campsite with many questioning officials regarding the security measures.

One of the dozen videos circulating on TikTok showed armed police carrying assault rifles while removing an alleged suspect from the scene. In the video, Thames Valley Armed Response Unit can be seen entering the festival and arresting a suspect who was trying to hide behind a food van. The video further showed the suspect being thrown out of the festival by officials.

ALSO READ

Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting eyewitnesses recount the horror: 'You could smell the gunpowder, you could hear the screams'

Four dead and 15 injured in shooting at Gilroy Garlic Festival in California after shooter opens fire during annual food event

The havoc began after man wearing a hood ran through the campsite looting and torching tents. Things got worse after bystanders started throwing chairs and other things into the fire. A video shows several fires burning simultaneously as explosions can be heard throughout the camp. Fire crews were battling the smaller fires as scared festival-goers tried to flee.

Chole Rocke, who posted a video of the disorder, said, “People were throwing bottles of urine and creating tall bonfires. The fire I filmed was a couple of paces from our tent, and everyone was adding more and more stuff to it. When the wardens came around to get everyone away, everyone booed them and called them names. Security told people to just stay awake just in case there were more fires and didn’t really seem to be doing anything. We didn’t feel safe and left the festival at 2 am."

Eyewitnesses at Bramham Park, where the festival was held, said that things took a turn for the worse after fans of different music genres started fighting with each other after different acts were performed on the same stage. Another anxious attendee said that he parking space was a mess after worried mothers arrived at the festival to pick up their children.

"It was just sort of kids out of control," an attendee told Daily Mail on condition of anonymity. "Fires were everywhere. Sixteen-year-olds were running around, messing with things, and starting fires everywhere - fires were popping up nonstop from 12 to 2 am. They would get so big that the officials would come over," the eyewitness added.

Revellers were seen smashing chairs and setting fire to anything flammable including tents. Some attendees took to Twitter claiming they were inside when that happened. "I saw someone check inside before lighting up the tent. I was nervous to go to bed in case I would be set alight in the middle of the night. One of my friends put a light in his bed so they knew he was in there," an eyewitness said. 

The eyewitnesses revealed that fires were lit in between the tents near the orange camp section. There was neck-to-neck traffic on the roads as hundreds were seen fleeing the site as looting and arson continued.

Police stated that more than 50 people were ejected from the festival site following the havoc. West Yorkshire Police said, "While some reports of anti-social behavior were received, no reports were made to West Yorkshire Police regarding any serious disorder at the festival during the final night. We are aware of sporadic tent fires which were dealt with by fire marshals on site, with persons then ejected. Police assistance was not required."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.