Braverman urges action after Oxford Street unrest

Individuals behind planned disorder in London's Oxford Street on Wednesday "must be hunted down and locked up", Britain's home secretary has said.

Nine arrests were made and 34 dispersal orders issued by the Metropolitan Police as baton-wielding officers and some on horseback confronted a group of youths that had mixed in with tourists along the famous shopping street in the United Kingdom's capital city.

Police officers had swarmed into the area mid-afternoon, following the emergence on social media apps of plans for disorder and shoplifting that targeted a sportswear shop.

For safety, some customers were temporarily locked inside stores on Oxford Street, following warnings about possible unrest on social media, reported ITV News.

In a social media response to a video post of the incident, Home Secretary Suella Braverman wrote: "We cannot allow the kind of lawlessness seen in some American cities to come to the streets of the UK.

"The police have my full backing to do whatever necessary to ensure public order.

"Those responsible must be hunted down and locked up. I expect nothing less from the metpoliceuk and have requested a full incident report."

It is understood Braverman was referring to looting and vandalism seen in US cities after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, reported The Times newspaper.

In reaction to reports of a "shoplifting" event on social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat earlier on Wednesday, police had warned there would be a heavy police presence in the Oxford Street area.

A post on TikTok appeared to promote an organized "Oxford St JD Robbery", complete with a date, time, and dress code. "Don't come if you can't run," the post said. It also urged people not to bring weapons, noted Sky News.

Many shoppers were oblivious to the social media campaign, but welcomed the police presence, reported The Times.

Just after 8 pm, police issued a statement, which said: "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 suspicion 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."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the TikTok post as "nonsense" earlier on Wednesday, and urged people not to go to the area.

Some of the youths who had gathered in Oxford Street, around the unrest, said they were only there out of curiosity, reported The Guardian newspaper. "I'm not here to steal anything," one said. "I've been raised better than that. I just want to record it."