TikTok and Snapchat posts urge London pupils to join ‘school wars’ fights and ‘be violent’

Pupils as young as 11 are being encouraged to join in school fights in posts on TikTok and Snapchat, prompting police to urge children not to get involved. The Metropolitan police have asked social media platforms to ban accounts promoting “school wars”, while headteachers have warned parents about the posts. One of the posts advertised a “north London war” between pupils from year seven to 11, pitting four named schools on a “red side” against four on a “blue side”. Another promoted a “Hackney war” using images of weapons to bring, including knives, compasses and fireworks. Other posts have suggested a points systems based on the harm done to opponents, urging participants to “be violent”. Some posts have suggested a post system based on the harm done to opponents. Photograph: TikTok Commander Neerav Patel, from the Met, said the force was aware of the posts and was in contact with several London boroughs to offer reassurance. He said: “We continue to closely monitor online spaces and have worked with platforms to request a dozen social media accounts to be disabled where threats or violence were planned or encouraged.” In a message to pupils, he said: “I would like to remind
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