Cardiff has had a night of violence. More than 100 masked rioters set cars on fire and pelted officers with stones and fireworks. The reason was a traffic accident in which two teenagers on an electric scooter died. False rumors of a police chase reportedly fanned the flames.
Violent riots broke out in the Welsh capital last night after the accident took place. YouTube footage showed live how the angry crowd pelted the police with various projectiles, even a door. A casual passerby was attacked because he was mistaken for an undercover agent.
Twelve officers injured
About a dozen police officers were injured, Commissioner Alun Micheal told Britain’s public broadcaster BBC. None of them are in danger. “The accident seems to be the reason for the disturbances for unclear reasons. An investigation will of course be conducted into exactly what happened.
According to Micheal, false rumors of a chase led to the violence. The police emphasize that she did not arrive at the scene until after the accident.
Until the early hours
“This shows how quickly rumors spread on social media these days. Events can get out of hand as a result,” says Micheal. Between 100 and 150 rioters eventually showed up in the Ely district, according to the BBC.
Videos are circulating on the internet of officers in riot gear trying to control the crowd. The images show how several cars are on fire. The rioting continued into the early hours and several people were arrested, Cardiff police said on Twitter.
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