By Fatma Younis
Seven people have been arrested in Glasgow following widespread violence on Bonfire Night across Scotland, during which fireworks were launched at emergency services and a police vehicle was set alight.
Attacks on emergency crews
Police and ambulance crews responding to a report of an injured man on Greenside Street in Glasgow came under firework attack shortly before 8pm on 5 November. A police officer and an ambulance staff member sustained minor injuries, and a police vehicle was seriously damaged by fire. Fireworks were also thrown at members of the public in Clydebank, while fire crews faced attacks in Knightswood, Castlemilk, Cumnock, Larkhall, Blackridge, and south Edinburgh, forcing firefighters to withdraw from some bin fires.
Major police deployment
Police Scotland mounted its largest officer deployment since former US president Donald Trump’s visit to Aberdeenshire in 2025, under Operation Amberlight. Officers from forces in England and Wales, including Avon and Somerset, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, and south Wales, were drafted in to assist. One male has been arrested in connection with the Greenside Street incident, and police maintain a presence in the area.
High volume of firework-related calls
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received more than 800 calls related to fireworks and bonfires between 5.30pm and 11.30pm on 5 November. Police recorded 1,024 fireworks-related calls between Halloween and 5 November, up from 833 in 2025, though the number of incidents requiring a specialist public order response decreased nationwide.
