Harehills MP Richard Burgon praises 'heartbroken' residents who came together after last year's violence
The MP for Harehills has recalled how “heartbroken” residents were determined to move forward in the aftermath of last summer’s unrest - and came together to ensure the violence was not repeated.
Richard Burgon, who has represented the Leeds East constituency since 2015, praised the resilience of people living close to the chaotic scenes that played out a year ago today (July 18).
That night, crowds gathered on Luxor Street as officers responded to a disturbance - but tensions quickly spiralled out of control. A police car was attacked and overturned, and later a double-decker bus was torched on Foundry Approach, sending flames and smoke billowing into the air.
No one was injured, but the violence shocked the city and drew national attention, raising serious questions for community leaders.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post on the anniversary, Mr Burgon recalled hearing about the incident as he travelled back to Leeds from Parliament.
“I was on the train quite late at night when I heard what was going on,” he said.
“It was upsetting to hear, particularly because it was part of the east Leeds community that we all know and love. Historically, it’s a community that has not had the resources that it needs. I was very upset and worried.”
Mr Burgon explained the reaction from the community in the hours and days that followed stood in stark contrast to the violence seen that night.
“The community came together,” he said. “It was a challenging time, because most people in Harehills were appalled by what had happened - and those scenes do not reflect the area. People were heartbroken. But a lot of work took place quickly to ensure it was not repeated.”
One organisation singled out for praise was CATCH, a Harehills-based youth charity that Mr Burgon said played “a really important role in supporting young people on the fringes”.
Reflecting on dangerous narratives that spread on social media at the time, Mr Burgon criticised those who he said attempted to exploit the unrest from outside the area.
“These were people who had probably never been to Harehills,” he said. “Some of them predicted that similar scenes would occur again - but they didn’t.”
The MP also spoke movingly about a late-night moment of solidarity in the aftermath of the incident.
“On the night after the incident, there was a discussion taking place at CATCH, with people sharing their concerns.
“I called the chair of Bilal Mosque at around 11.30pm so he could be involved. He walked through Harehills at midnight to be with us. I’ll never forget that. It's just a little window into what makes that community so special.”