Some footage showed crowds running and screaming
Seven people have been arrested following the chaotic scenes in Birmingham city centre on Halloween night, which saw fireworks being fired at police officers and members of the public.
West Midlands Police were called to Stephenson Street and Corporation Street on October 31 after large crowds gathered and disorder broke out across the city centre.
Footage showed youths, many dressed in black, setting off fireworks at each other as people celebrating Halloween festivities were caught up in the chaos.
Some footage showed crowds running and screaming as fireworks were repeatedly launched into the streets, sending colourful sparks across the busy areas.
Large pyrotechnics were also fired towards police vans, while officers were seen chasing groups through the streets in an attempt to bring the disorder under control.
Other clips appeared to show police officers being knocked to the ground as they struggled to manage the crowds.
Following the incidents, West Midlands Police confirmed that seven people, aged between 15 and 26, had been arrested.
The arrests were made on suspicion of offences including assault, possession of fireworks and possession of an offensive weapon. All seven remained in police custody at the time of the force’s statement.
Section 60 stop and search powers remained in place across Birmingham city centre, Sparkbrook and Soho Road until 1 am on November 2.
In a statement, West Midlands Police said: “Section 60 powers will continue from 5pm today in Birmingham city centre, Sparkbrook and Soho Road. The powers will run until 1 am tomorrow morning.
“Section 60 powers allow us to stop and search people without the need to have reasonable grounds.
“We know that the use of stop and search powers can sometimes cause concern to communities.
“We don’t use them lightly and we make sure their use is fair and appropriate.”
“While we are directly targeting knife crime, today and across the weekend we have teams of officers on duty across the city, ready to respond and investigate all forms of crime appropriately.
“This includes high-visibility patrols but also plain-clothed patrols which you may not notice, as well as work with colleagues from across the force including firearms officers, and our dog and drone units.”
Birmingham city centre last night. Fireworks fired at shopfronts with people in the street.
West Midlands Police warned only last week there’d be zero tolerance after last year, when 21 were arrested and 19 charged over the same thing.
This is what years of ‘it’s not their fault, it’s society’ gets you. No consequences, so no fear of any.
And the minute officers get hands-on to stop it, the same people who made the excuses are filming and complaining.
You can’t have it both ways.
— WasAcop (@WasAcop) November 1, 2026
The force added that its policing operations were being stepped up as the darker evenings brought changes in criminal behaviour and the potential for an increase in certain offences.
The statement continued: “We know that as we move into darker nights, criminal behaviour can change and we can see a rise in certain type of offences, which is why we target our operations and patrols at key times.
“Project Guardian, our force-wide knife crime operation, sees officers patrolling in targeted areas, while also carrying out weapon sweeps, stop and searches, retailer checks, and test purchases.
“As well as these powers and active enforcement, we are continuing to work with partners around education and prevention, especially speaking to young people about the dangers of carrying a knife, and we will keep up our work with schools, colleges, and charities to reinforce that messaging.
“We also ask parents and guardians to help us. If you’re concerned your child might be carrying a weapon, or involved in crime in any way, we would urge you to report it to us.”
