About 50 young people clashed with riot police in Edinburgh on Bonfire night
There is clear evidence that adults orchestrated some of the attacks, says Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs
Encouraging young people to attack officers "is child abuse", says ACC Mairs
Fireworks and petrol bombs being thrown directly at police officers in the Niddrie area of the city
Police Scotland also responded to disturbances in Glasgow and Dundee
The force said eight officers suffered minor injuries on a night of "unprecedented levels of violence"
The leader of Edinburgh City Council, Cammy Day, has called for a ban on the sale of fireworks to the public
‘Child abuse’ to supply Niddrie rioters with fireworks, say police
Police Scotland said officers faced "unprecedented levels of violence".
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said the actions of adults caught on camera directing children to commit crimes was tantamount to "child abuse".
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs is telling BBC News more about happened across Scotland last night.
The ACC says this was the sixth year of Operation Moonbeam and there was a safer overall experience.
Sadly though there was violence in Glasgow, Dundee and particularly in Niddrie in Edinburgh.
He says the police were attacked in Niddrie with a range of weapons including petrol-bombs, masonry, golf balls and fireworks.
It's been a busy bonfire night for Scotland's firefighters, here's a breakdown of the statistics for last night:
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, external received more than 892 calls from the public and Operations Control mobilised firefighters to approximately 355 bonfires across the country between 3.30pm and 12 Midnight on Sunday, 5 November.
Image source, PA MediaThere have been spikes of bad behaviour and criminal incidents around Halloween and Bonfire Night in Scotland for years.
The Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill, external became law in August 2022. It created a licensing scheme and limits the number of days when fireworks can be sold.
They can now only by bought and used by members of the public at certain times of the year, including Guy Fawkes Day, Hogmanay, Chinese New Year and Diwali.
It is also now an offence to give fireworks to, or buy them for, a child. Anyone found guilty of doing this will be subject to a fine of £5,000, a six-month prison term, or both.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs will be speaking to our reporter Hope Webb at Police Scotland's HQ shortly.
He's the force's commander for Operation Moonbeam, which was set up to tackle violence around Bonfire Night.
It will no longer be a press conference as we suggested earlier, so unfortunately we can no longer broadcast a live stream from Tulliallan.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs, said a minority of individuals had been responsible for an "unacceptable and frankly disgusting level of disorder that left communities alarmed and police officers injured".
Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: "There undoubtedly were adults involved in orchestrating that behaviour and supplying weapons to those young people.
"I want to be clear. This was not a spontaneous act of anti-social behaviour by young people.
"This was a concerted effort to attack police and emergency workers - and actually to attack the community of Niddrie - orchestrated by adults."
ACC Mairs said the police had made one arrest at the scene and had captured "hours and hours of footage" for evidence.
After last night's violence, politicians have taken to social media to call for a fireworks ban.
On X, the site formerly known as Twitter, SNP MP for Edinburgh East, Tommy Sheppard called on the UK government to ban the public sale of fireworks for routine domestic use.
"If Westminster won’t act, then the authority over firework sales should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament so that we can protect our communities," he said.
City of Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day also said he would support a ban on the sale of fireworks to the general public.
He said: "I absolutely respect this seems unfair to punish us all for that, and it would include my and my whole family and everybody else.
"But I think the risk to people, particularly emergency service workers, is such that the public sale of fireworks needs to be reconsidered."
Drone video shows fireworks being fired at police
Eight police officers have been injured in what police described as organised Bonfire Night clashes in Scotland.
The most serious disorder took place in the Niddrie area of Edinburgh, where a group of 50 youths threw fireworks and petrol bombs at riot police.
Police Scotland said eight officers suffered minor injuries during "unprecedented levels of violence".
The leader of Edinburgh City Council, Cammy Day, has called for a ban on the sale of fireworks to the public.
And First Minister Humza Yousaf said there had been "disgraceful scenes of fireworks misuse" in parts of Scotland, particularly in Niddrie.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs will speak to the press at Police Scotland's HQ at Tulliallan after eight officers sustained minor injuries in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
He's the force's commander for Operation Moonbeam, which was set up to tackle violence around Bonfire Night.
He's expected to talk mainly about Edinburgh, where about 50 young people clashed with riot police and fireworks and petrol bombs were thrown.
In Dundee, two police vehicles were also damaged after being struck by bricks and in Glasgow groups of youths were fighting and throwing fireworks in Barmulloch.
Police Scotland Scotland will hold a media briefing this morning after facing what they describe as "unprecedented levels of violence" while protecting communities from Bonfire Night disorder.
It's due to begin at 11:30.
We'll bring you reports and analysis.