‘School wars’ erupt across London as teens urged to bring knives and fight
‘School wars’ have spread all over London with teenagers encouraged to ‘be violent’ towards each other.
Parents have been advised to pick up their children directly from school, officers are patrolling outside schools, and dispersal orders have been imposed after posts calling on children to ‘be violent’ have gone viral.
The first post made almost two weeks ago declared ‘war’ between eight different schools in Hackney – just days after two pupils were stabbed at Kingsbury High School.
It encouraged pupils to bring sharp objects such as compasses and metal combs and divided the schools into ‘red’ and ‘blue’ sides.
And now other areas have followed suit, including Newham, Harrow, and Croydon – to name just a few.
Tower Hamlets have also organized their own, which lists a number of schools on the ‘green’ or ‘black’ side.
Other posts have also organized fights between entire boroughs, including one covering North London.
Even Ealing has been pitted against Waltham Forest, with 20 points awarded for ‘juggin them’ and 10 points for ‘banging them’.
Who is making the posts?
Some pupils say that not only is there no desire to take part in the fights, but they do not believe the posts were even made by students.
A Year 10 student in Hackney said: ‘People are just trying to fearmonger parents. Most schools are interlinked and have good relationships.
‘These people like to create fear and worry that is already in our communities. But any teenager with common sense would not meet somewhere where the police have been told about and bring a weapon.’
So far no footage has emerged of any of the ‘fights’, in part due to the Met Police’s swift approach to issue a dispersal order outside of the McDonald’s on Mare Street in Hackney after the first post went viral.
‘It’s terrible and scary for all’
Regardless, the new posts are still being spread on TikTok and Snapchat, with many of the comments saying which side they are on.
And parents are deeply worried about what this means for their children.
Tammy Brown, who lost her son Russell to knife crime in 2016, has called on Tower Hamlets’ parents to make sure they know what their children are doing.
She said: ‘It totally took my breath away seeing these posts. I hate to think of another mum or dad getting that knock on the door that turns their world upside down.
‘Innocent kids could be hurt and for what? Absolutely nothing. It’s just school vs. school and terrible and scary for all.’
Pupils are also at risk of being ‘jumped’ without knowing about the posts.
One grandmother, who has a grandson in Year 9 in Hackney, said as Mare Street is pedestrianized, children will be more vulnerable with nowhere to hide.
She said: ‘There is no hiding on that street, everything is completely open.
‘What if a pupil just happens to be walking through it and gets jumped? It’s a disaster waiting to happen.’
What has the police said?
Commander Neerav Patel said: ‘We’re aware of social media posts circulating and are in close contact with schools across several London boroughs to offer reassurance.
‘Officers will maintain a strong, visible presence around schools, and will respond firmly to any reports of violence or disorder.
‘We continue to closely monitor online spaces and have worked with platforms to request a dozen social media accounts to be disabled where threats or violence were planned or encouraged.
‘I would like to remind young people of the serious consequences of getting involved in matters like this.
‘An arrest, charge, and conviction for violence and carrying weapons could mean imprisonment with a significant long-term impact on future opportunities.’
World Affairs Correspondent
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