Seven arrested in Glasgow after Bonfire Night attacks on emergency services

Police Scotland mounts biggest disorder deployment since Trump’s 2025 visit

Seven people were arrested in Glasgow after Bonfire Night violence across Scotland in which fireworks were launched at emergency services and a police vehicle was set alight.

In what it called Operation Amberlight, Police Scotland deployed the largest number of officers it has sent to deal with disorder since the visit by the US president, Donald Trump, to Aberdeenshire in 2025. The force called in assistance from forces in England and Wales, with officers from as far afield as Avon and Somerset, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and south Wales expected to be on the streets of Scotland.

Police Scotland said officers and ambulance crews were called to reports of an injured male on Greenside Street in Glasgow shortly before 8pm. A police officer and an ambulance staff member sustained minor injuries after both crews were attacked with fireworks and a police vehicle was set alight, according to the force.

“During this time both crews were targeted with fireworks resulting in a police vehicle being set alight and seriously damaged,” a Police Scotland spokesperson said. “Operation Amberlight specialist resources were deployed, and one male has been arrested. Inquiries are ongoing and police maintain a presence in the area.”

Fireworks were also thrown at members of the public in Clydebank, and fire crews were attacked in the Knightswood and Castlemilk areas of Glasgow, in Cumnock in Ayrshire, in Larkhall in South Lanarkshire, and in Blackridge, West Lothian.

In Edinburgh, firefighters were forced to withdraw as they faced antisocial behaviour while attending bin fires in the south of the city, and police were targeted with fireworks in other areas of the city. Officers also went to the Kirkton area of Dundee after reports of a significant group of individuals gathering and setting illegal fires.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received more than 800 calls relating to fireworks and bonfires between 5.30pm and 11.30pm on 5 November.

Police said they received 1,024 fireworks-related calls between Halloween and 5 November, up from the 833 calls received in 2025. Despite the increase, police said there had been a reduction in the number of incidents requiring a specialist public order response across the country.