Bradford: mosques mobilized to appease

A barbecue in Toller, FIFA tournaments in City Ward

In Toller, the Faizane Madinah mosque organized a barbecue. Young people could share a meal, play table football and take time to chat. In the City Ward district, the Milat-e-Islamia mosque offered indoor football and console FIFA tournaments. A hot meal was also served there. In Barkerend, the Jamia Muhammadia mosque welcomed more than 100 young people in the evening, reports the newspaper Asian Standard.

Bonfire Night recalls the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his accomplices attempted to blow up Parliament in London. Today, families meet on November 5 to watch the fireworks. In Bradford, this period is also one of those when emergency services are most often faced with arson and street disturbances.

Prevention work carried out in the neighborhoods

Preparation began several months before the festivities. The city’s youth services had worked with associations and mosques to offer activities in the neighborhoods. Sheets reminding the dangers of fireworks were also distributed to associations in contact with young people.

For their part, the cleaning agents had removed waste left in the street which risked being used to fuel unauthorized bonfires. In October, the police and the town hall obtained the closure of the Big Shotters fireworks business. West Yorkshire firefighters also seized a large quantity of illegally stored explosives.

Incidents are also decreasing on the bus network

On the evening of November 5, police reinforced their patrols in areas where fireworks had caused problems in previous years. They recorded 120 reports related to fireworks, a figure that Bradford Police say is falling. In total, seven people were arrested during the evening.

On the network of First Bus, one of the main bus operators in the district, incidents have decreased by 80%. According to its local director, Ian Kershaw, the few incidents reported have caused little disruption to bus traffic.

For the firefighters, the evening remained as busy as usual. Several emergency vehicles were targeted. Benjy Bush, head of the district’s fire department, condemned the attacks and thanked residents who followed safety instructions, whether at home or during an organized show. At town hall, Ian Walker, elected representative in charge of neighborhoods, praised the work of the mobilized teams and called for continued prevention efforts.