Six teenagers have been arrested after a viral TikTok trend sparked scenes of disorder in Clapham, south London, over the Easter school holidays. Hundreds of young people gathered on Clapham High Street and Clapham Common, causing disruption including fires, fireworks, and attempts to force entry into shops.
The Metropolitan Police deployed around 100 officers to bring the situation under control on Tuesday evening. Five people were allegedly assaulted, including four police officers, one of whom was taken to hospital with an arm injury. Three girls, aged 13 and 17, were arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker; the 17-year-old has been charged and bailed. Another three teenage girls were arrested on Saturday on suspicion of theft and assault.
Shoppers were locked inside an M&S store for their safety, with police escorting them out. Witness Matilda Knight described hearing fireworks and seeing police presence. The Met Police have warned that more arrests are expected as they review CCTV and bodycam footage, and have issued a Section 35 dispersal order for the area.
Police have urged social media companies to take responsibility for content promoting disorder. Additional officers have been deployed to Clapham ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend to deal with any further antisocial behaviour.
