In Scotland, on the night of Bonfire Night, a police car was set on fire and firefighters were pelted with fireworks

Attacks on police and firefighters in Glasgow

On the evening of 5 November 2026, at around 19:55, police responded to a report of an injured man on Greenside Street in the Provanmill area of Glasgow. While officers and ambulance crews were at the scene, fireworks began to be fired at them. In front of dozens of people, a police car was set on fire in the middle of a residential street next to other vehicles, after which emergency services were forced to withdraw from the area. Specialist resources from Operation Amberlight were deployed, one man was arrested; the investigation is ongoing and police are maintaining a presence in the area. This was reported by BBC News.

Edinburgh, Dundee and other flashpoints of disorder

In Edinburgh's Oxgangs area, at around 17:30, reports came in of groups of youths blocking Oxgangs Road North; according to witnesses, teenagers were firing fireworks at emergency services. Police said fireworks were launched towards officers, but no one was injured; firefighters extinguished several small fires in bins and a park. In Wester Hailes, firefighters were called to a fire on a grassy area beside homes in Murrayburn Park shortly after 19:00. In Glasgow, a fire engine was hit with fireworks in Knightswood, and in Dundee, after more than 100 young people gathered and lit a fire on a road, a public order unit was deployed; a crowd of around 50 people was reported to be launching fireworks. A separate incident occurred in Alexandria: a 15-year-old teenager was hospitalised after a firework he had launched exploded and injured his eye.

The biggest operation of the year and police leadership's response

The disorder coincided with a major European football match and a possible protest in Glasgow. As noted in a separate BBC article about preparations for Bonfire Night, police had carried out in advance the biggest operation of the year: officers from Avon and Somerset, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and South Wales were preparing for duty. Chief Superintendent David Robertson said at a briefing at Fettes station that the task was to 'use additional capabilities and resources' and to 'make our presence felt when necessary'. Chief Constable Jo Farrell warned those taking part in the disorder: 'You will face the full force of the law, you will be arrested and you will face the consequences,' adding that she will not tolerate 'this level of violence on the streets of Scotland'. According to her, the operation's planning was 'the best we have ever done'. The BBC also reported that ahead of the celebrations, police seized £12,000 worth of fireworks, which were to be sold online.