As reported by the Guardian, police have issued a warning after social media posts appeared to encourage secondary school pupils to take part in organised fights across parts of London
Messages circulating on TikTok and Snapchat target children aged 11 to 16, promoting so-called “school wars” between named schools. One post referred to a “north London war”, dividing year seven to 11 pupils into opposing “red” and “blue” teams. Another advertised a “Hackney war” and included images of items such as knives, compasses and fireworks.
Some posts go further, appearing to gamify violence by suggesting a points system based on the level of injury inflicted and urging participants to act aggressively.
The Metropolitan Police said it is working with social media companies to remove content that promotes or organises violence. Officers have asked platforms to suspend accounts linked to the posts and have contacted schools and local authorities in affected boroughs.
Commander Neerav Patel said the force was aware of the material and was engaging with communities to provide reassurance. He added that police are continuing to monitor online activity and have requested the removal of around a dozen accounts where threats or plans for violence were identified.
Be the first to comment