Clapham, a leafy south-west London neighbourhood known for its brunch culture and expensive flatshares, has become an unlikely hotspot for large, social-media-organised teenage gatherings known as 'link-ups' or 'TikTok parties'. These events, which circulate on platforms like TikTok, have led to chaos during school holidays, with mobs of hundreds of teenagers taking over parks, shops, and streets.
Residents and workers report feeling intimidated and unsafe. Mia, a 27-year-old netball player, says her team's matches on Clapham Common are frequently cancelled when crowds of under-18s refuse to leave the courts. She described walking across the common during half-term as 'genuinely frightening', with a 400-strong mob inhaling balloons, charging towards cars, and gathering near the skate park. A 17-year-old was stabbed during that gathering.
The Easter holidays saw the most dramatic incidents. On the final Saturday in March, stampedes of over 100 teenagers ran through shops including Boots and Waitrose on Clapham High Street, knocking items off shelves and 'terrorising' shoppers. Shopkeepers barricaded customers inside. Three teenage girls were arrested on suspicion of theft and assault. Four police officers were assaulted during a similar 'super-mob' attack the following Tuesday, which also involved fireworks and small fires on the Common.
Witnesses described the scenes as a 'warzone', with an elderly woman knocked over and locals thinking a bomb had gone off. Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the behaviour as 'appalling'. A 48-hour dispersal order was issued to restore order. Most participants were aged 13 to 18, often wearing balaclavas and shouting aggressively. An apprentice at a local hair salon said she was terrified after hearing rumours that one of the youths had a machete.
Lambeth has long been one of London's highest-crime boroughs, but residents say the visibility of these gatherings and the fact that antisocial behaviour has become content creation is new. Mia worries that if the escalation continues, 'something really serious' will happen. Police have urged parents to speak to their children about attending unauthorised gatherings.
