Four teenage boys have been arrested after a video of a “racially-aggravated hate incident” against a Black school student in Carlisle triggered public uproar on social media.
A distressing video circulating online appears to show the Black student in uniform being pushed and punched in the chest on Friday by a white male near St John Henry Newman Catholic School.
The survivor is repeatedly harassed and issued several blows before being forced to kiss the white teenager’s shoes, the distressing video shows.
In another clip purportedly filmed after the incident, the white teenager can be seen following the survivor up the street and punching him twice before onlookers intervene.
The videos shared on Friday garnered over six million views on X, triggering an uproar over the blatantly racist incident.
“Racism in the UK is getting worse everyday. Are Black people not safe in Carlisle,” social media user Olumo of Derby captioned the video.
After the video went viral, the Cumbria police on Saturday morning initially arrested a teenage boy and said it was aware of “concerns in the community”.
The force urged people not to share the video in order not to “impede any legal proceedings or to identify any of the children involved”.
The police later in the day announced the arrest of three more white teenagers, all from Carlisle.
One of the teenagers was arrested on suspicion of “racially-aggravated actual bodily harm” and the other three were arrested on suspicion of abetting racially-aggravated actual bodily harm.
“These are abhorrent images circulating online that have caused shock and concern in both the community and among officers here at Cumbria Police,” superintendent Sarah Jones said in a statement.
She added: “We … can reassure the community this is an incident we are taking very seriously – and we have made four arrests.
“Our officers have worked through the night and continue to carry out investigations today.” Police will be increasing patrols in Carlisle in response to concerns from the community.