A 15-year-old boy and a man in his 20s have been arrested over so-called ‘School Wars’ social media posts that encouraged pupils to fight with weapons.
They were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of encouraging or assisting in a crime. The pair have since been released on bail pending further inquiries.
Posters inspired by notorious LA street gangs the Bloods and the Crips featuring men in red and blue balaclavas and listing which schools fall under which ‘side’ have been circulating on Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram.
One showed images of scissors, a knife, compasses, fireworks, and a comb with the tagline ‘bring your best’.
Hackney, Islington, Redbridge and Croydon are among the boroughs included in the ‘Red vs Blue’ fights, with 26 schools in total listed and split into teams, but parents from other parts of the capital have also reported similar posts
It led to some schools finishing early with parents and carers urged to take their children straight home.
Officers have been mobilised outside gates as a precaution, with Scotland Yard saying a ‘strong police presence’ would remain outside schools.
A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘Local officers continue to work alongside local authority partners, school leaders and parents, whose joint robust response has been vital in protecting young people across the last week.’
Posters inspired by notorious LA street gangs the Bloods and the Crips featuring men in red and blue balaclavas listing which schools fall under which ‘side’ have been circulating on Snapchat , TikTok and Instagram
One showed images of scissors, a knife, compasses, fireworks, and a comb with the tagline ‘bring your best’
The force added: ‘On Sunday, 1 March at approximately 18:45hrs, Met officers arrested two individuals in Central East London in connection with a recent trend of social media posts.
‘Both suspects, a man aged in his 20s and a boy aged 15, were arrested on suspicion of encouraging or assisting in a crime. They were bailed pending further enquiries.’
Police last week sent a note to parents regarding the TikTok trend’s impact on that part of the capital as a dispersal order was issued for the whole of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
It read: ‘We are aware that several posts have been circulating on social media in recent days, and we understand that this may have caused concern among families.’
The Met Police added that it would be monitoring online activity, working with social media organisations to disable accounts encouraging violence, and would remain in contact with schools across ‘several boroughs’.
It continued: ‘Police officers will continue to maintain a strong and visible presence around schools in some areas proactively to respond promptly and firmly to any reports of violence or disorder to help ensure the safety of all young people.
‘Commanders across East boroughs urge people of the serious consequences of becoming involved in situations of this nature.
‘Any involvement in violence or carrying weapons can lead to arrest, criminal charges or even imprisonment, with long term impacts on future opportunities.
‘We ask that you speak with children about staying safe, making responsible choices, and reporting anything that concerns them to a trusted adult.’
Many of the original posts have been deleted, so it is unclear exactly how many boroughs and schools had been called to fight at a number of gatherings last month.
Another post laying out the ‘rules’ of the school wars tells children to ‘jump’ anyone they see from the ‘opposite’ side, specifying they must ‘be violent’.
They are encouraged to use stationery from their pencil cases, such as compasses, scissors and rulers, as weapons with some posters even depicting kitchen knives and fireworks.
Students are also asked to have someone ‘record’ their attacks and for the footage to be sent to the original organiser so they can be posted online and given extra ‘points’.
The scoring system awards 20 points to children who punch an ‘opp’, 10 points for chasing them, 15 points for ‘staining’ them – slang for stabbing – and 10 bonus points for ‘recording any of the above’.
Since the posts began circulating online last week, parents have received emails about the worrying calls to battle from their children’s headteachers who reassured them they had informed the authorities and police would be patrolling the areas.
