Officers now have more powers to tackle anti-social behaviour and violence, forcing groups of young people to move on when ordered
Police officers in Greenwich have been granted special powers until 10pm as fears surrounding ‘Red vs Blue’ school fights rise with more posts being shared. Over the past few weeks posts have appeared on social media sites encouraging children to attack pupils at nearby schools to ‘earn points’ – dividing schools into ‘red’ and ‘blue’ categories.
Hackney was the first London borough to experience these posts, before similar examples began appearing in Redbridge, Greenwich and Croydon among other parts of the city. Some of these posts encouraged schoolchildren to attack ‘rival’ pupils with compasses, metal combs and rulers, and then upload the footage on social media.
Young Greenwich youth club has warned parents about the dangers of these posts, reports News Shopper. Some posts have designated different dates the ‘school wars’ will be active, with Friday, February 27 regularly listed as the first.
Now, the Metropolitan Police has issued a Section 35 Dispersal Order in Greenwich to deter anti-social behaviour and violence. It came into force at 11.30am today (Friday, February 27) and will remain in place until 10pm tonight.
Police say Greenwich residents will see an increase in patrols throughout today. Confirming she had approved the Dispersal Order, Metropolitan Police Inspector for Greenwich Borough Joanna Chapman said: “Many of you have have heard through social media, from a school or your own children, news of possible fights between various school children across the Borough Of Greenwich.
“From a policing perspective, we take the safety of children and residents of the borough very seriously. Therefore, in order to deter and prevent any anti-social behaviour or risk increase of potential violent incidents, we have taken the decision to issue a Section 35 Dispersal Order, covering the whole of Greenwich Borough.
“This means that Police will be able to disperse any gathering of youths in any area in the borough, to prevent crime and disorder. It will be in place until 10pm Friday, February 27. You will see an increase in police presence across the borough, working with council wardens and partners throughout the day, to tackle any incidents that may occur.”
Police to ‘maintain a strong and visible presence’ around schools
The Met previously said officers are in 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,” the spokesperson told MyLondon.
“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.”
Despite the dozens of AI-generated posters pushing schoolchildren to clash in London, many pupils themselves are sceptical about how truthful these posts are, according to the Metro. One pupil claimed it’s an effort to “fearmonger parents” when responding to a TikTok post.
Speaking on Thursday (February 26) Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “This content is deeply concerning, and I understand TikTok are taking action to review and address it. Encouraging violence by urging children to take knives to school is illegal. I expect platforms to abide by the letter of the law and where the content is illegal, they should take action to stop these abhorrent posts.”
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said ASCL supports police and schools in actions they are having to take “to stop this latest trend turning into real-world violence with the clear risk of young people being seriously injured or killed”.
“Barely a week goes by without something appalling happening on social media. This the latest example of the wild west environment on these platforms – in this case all too literally,” he said.
“As ever, schools, families and the police are left to pick up the pieces, while social media companies are far too lax on policing their platforms. When will they get their house in order and when will the Government take stronger action to make them do so?”
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