Shocking video has shown police wielding batons clashing with dozens of youths in London’s Oxford Street this afternoon after chaos erupted when a social media-fuelled campaign to ‘rob JD Sports’ and shoplift went viral.
Nine people have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of offences including assaulting a police officer, going equipped to steal and breaching a dispersal order at the shopping hotspot today.
Footage from the scene shows officers chasing after youths outside the Microsoft store in Europe’s busiest shopping street with their batons raised, with some being wrestled away by police and put in handcuffs.
Videos from earlier in the day showed cops simultaneously grappling with two youths, slamming one to the floor and pinning the other to the wall by McDonald’s. A third was later witnessed fleeing behind JD Sports before being detained. In dramatic scenes one cop appeared to be punched in the face by one youth.
Today’s chaos was triggered following a widely shared post over social media calling on thugs to ‘rob’ JD sports and other stores this afternoon. A poster plugging the carnage urged yobs to follow a ‘dress code’ of balaclavas and gloves. ‘Don’t come if you can’t run,’ it said before warning: ‘Don’t bring any weapons.’
One police officer was seen being punched in the head by a youth amid scuffles on Oxford Street
A police officer wrestles with a young man on Oxford Street this afternoon after groups of youths congregated in the shopping hotspot
Police officers try to stop youths as they run out of a McDonald’s restaurant on Oxford Street
Police were pictured detaining a male outside McDonald’s in Oxford Street after concerns were raised about a social media trend
The Metropolitan Police descended on the shopping hotspot in force amid fears hordes of youths were planning to cause mayhem this afternoon (one man is pictured being detained by police)
Large groups of young people were seen running away from police amid the clashes on Oxford Street
One youth was seen being wrestled away by police officers after clashes outside the Microsoft store on Oxford Street
Police officers gathered in Oxford Street amid threats that large groups of youths would attempt to storm shops
A dispersal order has been put in place from 11am on Tuesday to 10am on Thursday, giving police the power to ban people from the area for 48 hours. Anyone who does not comply can be arrested.
The two males caught on film being detained were done so for breaching the dispersal order. A third boy, believed to be in his early teens, was chased down Oxford Street and attempted to hide behind scaffolding attached to the Uniqlo store opposite JD Sports.
He was also given a dispersal order.
The Met’s City of Westminster Police Twitter account said that officers had ‘responded to a disturbance from within the group of people outside the Microsoft store and not a report of people looting,’ adding that there was ‘no report of people attempting to enter the store’.
In a statement, the force said: ‘Throughout Wednesday, August 9, officers maintained a high visibility presence within the Oxford Street area.
‘As of 8.15pm officers have issued 34 people with dispersal orders and made nine arrests.
‘Four people were arrested on suspicion of breaching the dispersal order, one person was arrested on suspicion of going equipped to steal, one person arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and one person was arrested on susicion of a public order offence.
‘Earlier in the afternoon officers arrested two people in Essex for conspiracy to commit robbery following online social media posts.’
Earlier in the day a spokesperson for the force said: ‘We continue to have a highly visible presence in the Oxford Street area.
‘We will deal robustly with anyone coming to the West End intent on committing crime.’
In a separate video, infamous TikTokker Mizzy – whose previous ‘pranks’ have seen him and his followers invading people’s homes and causing mayhem in Oxford Street’s Primark store – was also filmed being stopped by police.
Sporting bright purple hair, it is unclear if the shirtless 18-year-old – whose real name is Bacari-Bronze O’Garro – was taking part in the ‘mass shoplifting event’. But he was turned away from the area by officers.
MailOnline understands security staff were bracing themselves for ‘widespread disorder’ amid fears the incident could descend into chaos, in a repeat of scenes from August last year which saw gangs of youths vandalising shops and a Ferrari, and even assaulting police officers.
The Vision Express and Boots stores were temporarily shut this afternoon as police sought to clampdown on the disorder.
Both high street stores pulled their shutters down as dozens of officers descended on McDonald’s while shoppers and tourists gathered on the pavements.
Both stores re-opened swiftly after the dispersal orders were made. MailOnline has contacted Microsoft for comment.
TikTokker Mizzy (pictured with purple hair) was filmed being spoken to by police in Oxford Street
An online poster advertising the mayhem has been shared across various social media platforms (pictured)
TikTokker Mizzy (pictured with purple hair) was filmed being spoken to by police in Oxford Street
Mounted officers from the Met Police are expected to be part of the increased presence in Oxford Street (pictured on a TikTok video released by the force on Tuesday evening)
Officers in Oxford Street are pictured speaking to a youth on Wednesday after a dispersal order was issued for the area
Some of those visiting Oxford Street appeared in high spirits as police sought to disperse any anti
Speaking earlier today, London Mayor Sadiq Khan pleaded with people not to take part in the event, which he branded ‘social media nonsense’.
‘I am worried about this nonsense we have seen on TikTok encouraging people to go to Oxford Street,’ he said.
‘The police understand why some people may be tempted to go to that part of London because of the TikTok.
‘I’d encourage anybody who’s seen it not to go to Oxford Street. Do not allow yourself to be sucked into an area that could be high-crime area.
‘It won’t be (a high-crime area) because the police work incredibly hard with the local community with the retailers in that part of London, and with those citizens who want to have a good day out on Oxford Street tomorrow rather than being worried about that sort of nonsense.’
We are aware of online speculation about opportunities to commit crime around Oxford Street.
There will be a significant number of our officers in the area over the next 24 hours.
Anyone committing a crime can expect to be dealt with robustly. pic.twitter.com/0LXEFgNTp7
— MPS Westminster (@MPSWestminster) August 8, 2023
Cops mounted on horseback are expected to be among those patrolling the streets to tackle any potential disorder.
The Met Police said on Twitter: ‘We are aware of online speculation about opportunities to commit crime around Oxford Street.
‘There will be a significant number of our officers in the area over the next 24 hours. Anyone committing a crime can expect to be dealt with robustly.’
The Met Police also posted a video on TikTok warning people officers ‘will not tolerate’ anti-social behaviour.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (pictured left) has said he is worried about ‘nonsense’ on Tiktok telling people to gather in Oxford Street
The Met Police released a video on TikTok in which this officer said anti-social behaviour in Oxford Street ‘would not be tolerated’
A police dispersal order has been issued until Thursday evening covering this area around Oxford Street
The news follows a plea shared widely on social media calling on youths to ‘rob’ JD Sports (pictured police outside Oxford Circus on Wednesday)
A police spokesman added: ‘We are working very closely with our partners, including [retail consortium] the New West End Company, to ensure that any criminal behaviour is dealt with quickly.’
Stores in the renowned London shopping precinct have been warned the mayhem is likely to be attended by youths aged ’16 to 25′, New West End Company (NWEC) said in a security briefing to retailers.
The firm said it would be stepping up patrols in Oxford Street, supporting the Met Police in deterring yobs.
In its warning, seen by MailOnline, NWEC added there were fears this afternoon’s proposed carnage could replicate a similar incident last August.
‘On 12/08/22, a similar event resulted in widespread disorder within the NWEC patch. Multiple stores were vandalised and experienced steaming incidents (understood as shoplifting in crowds at speed) with multiple police officers assaulted. Numerous arrests were made as police attempted to gain control of the situation,’ it said.
Police have stepped up their patrols of Oxford Street amid fears widespread disorder could hit the site today (file picture)
Oxford Street has become a focal point for social media stunts, with teenage tearaway Mizzy previously leading a gang of yobs into Primark, where they proceeded to trash the clothes store.
Mizzy – real name Bacari-Bronze O’Garro – has gained online notoriety for a series of filmed stunts, including invading the homes of strangers, stealing a woman’s dog and entering the cab of a train.
He was handed a two-year criminal behaviour order in May, banning him from filming members of the public for social media videos without their consent.
In one of his videos, he filmed himself running and holding a camera followed by a large group of youths down the famous shopping hotspot in London.
The social media prankster was seen loudly egging on his followers before shouting: ‘Primark! Ay, Primark!’
While screaming ‘Wehay!’, O’Garro led the large group, many of whom were filming the incident on their mobile phones, into Primark.
A clip showed TikTok tearaway Mizzy (bottom right) leading a gang of yobs into a Primark clothing store in Oxford Street which they then trash
O’Garro egged his followers into stampeding into the Oxford Street Primark during the video
A police van is pictured outside JD Sports in Oxford Street, London, on August 9 amid fears the popular shopping precinct could be mobbed by youths
O’Garro and some his followers got up on tables and counters at the till and threw products across the floor – one boy could be seen hitting poles together.
O’Garro then, while continuing to run around the shop, shouted: ‘Go subscribe to Mizzy!’
He then led his followers around the shop and headed back to the door, shouting ‘Everyone out! Out!’
His young followers could be heard cheering their idol on, saying things like: ‘I love Mizzy!’
The notorious TikToker will be back in court next month after he failed to appear before magistrates last week for breaching a court order.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12389745/Police-launch-crackdown-threat-Oxford-Street-TikTok-crime-wave-Officers-arrest-youths-outside-McDonalds-cops-ramp-patrols-shopping-district-viral-social-media-posts-urged-followers-rob-JD-Sports.html
