Advertisement
Britain
WorldEurope

TikTok-inspired raid on UK’s famous Oxford Street slammed by minister

  • Footage showed police wielding batons in clash with dozens of young men, with customers locked inside shops on Europe’s busiest shopping street
  • Home Secretary says ‘the kind of lawlessness seen in some US cities’ must not come to UK, city’s mayor decries ‘nonsense’ circulating on TikTok

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
16
Police officers detain a person as disruptors target shops during a shoplifting spree flash mob on Oxford Street in London on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
dpa
UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has called for those who took part in a suspected TikTok-inspired raid of shops in London’s Oxford Street to be “hunted down” and jailed.
Advertisement

Footage showed police wielding batons in a clash with dozens of young men on Wednesday and wrestling some of them away, while officers on horseback helped to disperse hundreds of people in Europe’s busiest shopping street.

Stores were forced to close their shutters and lock customers inside during the looting raid, which was reportedly inspired by a social media craze encouraging people to take part in an “Oxford Street JD robbery”. JD is a sports retailer.

The Metropolitan Police arrested nine people and issued 34 dispersal orders during the incident.

It included TikTok prankster Mizzy, who insisted in a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he had “nothing to do” with the raid.

People walk past a mounted police officer, amid disrupters being expected to steal from shops on Oxford Street in London on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
People walk past a mounted police officer, amid disrupters being expected to steal from shops on Oxford Street in London on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Advertisement