Tony O’Reilly-
Seven people have been arrested following a night of widespread disorder across Scotland on Bonfire Night, during which emergency service workers were attacked with fireworks, firefighters were forced to withdraw from incidents and a police vehicle was deliberately set alight in Glasgow.
The violence unfolded on Thursday, November 5, amid one of Police Scotland’s largest policing operations in recent years. Up to 1,700 officers were deployed under Operation Amberlight to respond to anticipated outbreaks of violence and anti-social behaviour, marking the force’s biggest deployment since former US President Donald Trump’s official visit to Scotland last year.
One of the most serious incidents occurred on Greenside Street in Glasgow shortly before 8pm, when police officers and ambulance personnel responding to reports of an injured man came under attack. Fireworks were reportedly directed at both emergency service crews, leaving one police officer and an ambulance staff member with minor injuries. During the disturbance, a police vehicle was set alight and sustained serious damage.
Police Scotland confirmed that specialist resources from Operation Amberlight were deployed to the scene and that one man had been arrested in connection with the incident. Inquiries remain ongoing, with officers maintaining a presence in the area.
Elsewhere, emergency services faced further hostility as violence spread across parts of Glasgow, Edinburgh and other communities. Firefighters attending bin fires in the south of Edinburgh were forced to withdraw after encountering anti-social behaviour, while police officers were also targeted with fireworks in several locations.
In Oxgangs and around Colinton Mains, groups of young people reportedly overturned bins and set them alight in the middle of roads, creating dangerous obstructions. Police were called to Oxgangs Road North at approximately 5.30pm after receiving reports of youths blocking the road. When officers arrived, fireworks were set off in their direction, although no injuries were reported.
Residents described scenes of escalating disorder, with one local witness, who wished to remain anonymous, saying: “They’re setting fire in the park and shooting fireworks at the police and firemen.” The disturbances were not confined to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Fireworks were reportedly thrown at members of the public in Clydebank, while fire crews also faced attacks in Knightswood and Castlemilk in Glasgow, Cumnock in Ayrshire, Larkhall in South Lanarkshire and Blackridge in West Lothian.
The scale of the disorder prompted Police Scotland to seek additional support from forces in England and Wales as part of its extensive Bonfire Night operation. The deployment reflected growing concerns about the risks faced by emergency workers during annual celebrations, particularly where fireworks are used as weapons against police officers, firefighters and ambulance personnel.
Despite the substantial police presence, the incidents highlighted the challenges facing emergency services as they attempted to respond to fires, public safety concerns and reports of violence across multiple communities.
. Police Scotland has confirmed that investigations into the incidents are continuing. The force has not provided further details about the seven arrests, and inquiries remain ongoing into the attacks on emergency personnel and the destruction of the police vehicle. The incidents have once again raised serious concerns about the safety of frontline emergency workers, who were targeted while carrying out their duties during what should have been a night of public celebration.
Editorial note: The supplied material contains a discrepancy: it initially states that seven people were arrested, but the detailed police statement specifically confirms only one arrest in connection with the Greenside Street incident. The article therefore avoids attributing all seven arrests to that incident. It would also be worth verifying the total arrest figure and the operation’s official name before publication.