Bonfire Night attacks ‘unacceptable and have to stop’

There are fresh calls for a crackdown on Bonfire Night disorder after fire, ambulance and police teams were attacked and dealt with anti-social behaviour across Scotland.

Seven people were arrested as Police Scotland’s largest deployment of officers since the visit of US President Donald Trump in 2025 saw emergency services targeted with fireworks and a police vehicle set alight in Glasgow.

The incidents came amid a large police operation to deal with an explosive night of anti-social behaviour on Bonfire Night, known as Operation Amberlight.

Provanmill, in Glasgow, was the epicentre of the Bonfire Night disorder in the west.

A barrage of fireworks were set off inside an abandoned police van after officers came to assist ambulance staff.

Provanmill, in Glasgow, faced anti-social disorder STV News

This scorched aftermath is just one of the nearly 800 incidents emergency services dealt with through the night.

In Edinburgh, bins were set on fire in Oxgangs, and police were targeted when a group created a blockade and set it alight.

There was a large police presence in the area, as trouble involving groups of young people with fireworks was reported.

Locals said that groups of youths were launching fireworks at emergency services as they attempted to deal with the disorder.

Illegal fires also burned in the streets of Dundee.

Specialist resources were drafted in from across the UK as part of Operation Amberlight.

Firework control zones were also in force and more than 30 dispersal orders were handed out.

Chief Superintendent David Robertson of Police Scotland said officers saw a reduction in serious calls and “far fewer” deployments of specialist police.

However, he acknowledged that there were still attacks on officers, firefighters and the Scottish Ambulance Service during the night.

“I think we’ve seen improvements over the last couple of years, and we definitely saw improvements last night”, he said.

“But we are still seeing behaviour that is completely unacceptable, and it has to stop.

“The underlying root causes are complex, and we need to work with our partners to address them.”

Communities are now dealing with the aftermath of Bonfire Night STV News

Scott Mclaughlin, a community worker from St Paul’s Youth Forum in Provanmill, knows those social complexities all too well.

He said: “The community centre in Blackhill has just had its funding cut, £200,000 has been taken away, that could be used to tackle anti-social behaviour.

“That has been taken away from people in the community who are really susceptible to this sort of anti-social behaviour, and I think this has shown it; it’s been an outlet for a lot of young people to engage in this sort of behaviour, because there’s a feeling of hopelessness in the community.

“Especially with the cost of living crisis and these things that are happening.”

As the cleanup continues, so will the police inquiries, with even people having been arrested so far across the country.

City of Edinburgh Council leader Jane Meagher said the overall picture was a “good one” and declared the Bonfire Night response in Edinburgh a “success”.

“I’m not ignoring the fact that there were some pockets of disruption, but overall Bonfire Night went off very successfully,” Ms Meagher said.

“There was no curtailment to public transport, for example, and any incidents that did occur, particularly in the south west of the city, were dealt with efficiently and quickly.”

She added: “It shows how if we work together, we can tackle the worst of these kinds of incidents and help people to enjoy Bonfire Night in the way that we’re entitled to.”

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said the “full force of the law” should be brought down on those who attacked emergency service staff, and he called on Justice Secretary Neil Gray to make a statement in Holyrood on the scenes next week.