LONDON: Violence marred London’s Notting Hill Carnival, one of the Europe’s largest street festivals, which led to several stabbings and hundreds of arrests.

The violence occurred despite heavy police presence of around 7,000 officers on duty at the carnival, which celebrates British Afro-Caribbean culture.

A 32-year-old woman who was attending the carnival with her young child over the weekend was stabbed and remains in critical condition. Reports suggest she was caught in the crossfire of an altercation between two groups of men on Sunday.

The Metropolitan Police arrested three men in connection with the attack. A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and violent disorder, while two other men, aged 22 and 24, were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. The three suspects were apprehended at separate addresses in Hammersmith and Fulham on Tuesday and are currently in custody.

In all, eight people were stabbed during the three-day event, with three of the victims left in life-threatening conditions, according to AFP. The Met Police reported that officers made 230 arrests on Monday alone, including 49 for possession of an offensive weapon. The force also seized three firearms, two of which were found at the carnival and one during a vehicle stop involving individuals believed to be heading to the event.

The Met’s spokesperson for the Notting Hill Carnival, Commander Charmain Brenyah, expressed concern over the incident, stating, “Our thoughts, first and foremost, are with the woman who is fighting for her life in hospital and with her loved ones. She came to carnival to have fun, with her young child, and was caught up in the most awful violence.” Brenyah praised the swift actions of the officers on duty, including police medics, who provided emergency medical treatment and preserved vital evidence at the scene.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2024