Schools finish early with police outside gates as ‘School Wars’ TikTok trend inspired by notorious LA street gangs Bloods and Crips encourages armed brawls with rival pupils told to arm themselves with scissors

Amid the ‘School Wars’ TikTok trend encouraging gunfights where rival students are told to arm themselves with scissors, police are finishing school early as schools line up outside their gates.

Parents and carers across London were told on Friday to ensure their children go straight home at the end of the school day and to avoid large groups of people where police are prepared for violent interactions.

Inspired by Los Angeles’ notorious street gangs, the Bloods and the Crips, posters featuring men in red and blue ski masks and listing which schools fall under which “side” have been circulating on Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram all week.

Hackney, Islington, Redbridge and Croydon are among the boroughs included in the ‘Red vs Blue’ challenge; A total of 26 schools are listed and divided into teams, but parents from other parts of the capital have reported similar posts.

As the school week drew to a close, parents received letters from relevant authorities telling them to watch out for their children and warning that police presence would be increased.

An email from Charter North Dulwich, titled ‘Social Media Post – Red vs Blue’, said it aimed to ‘reassure’ buyers as the trend continues to evolve.

He added: ‘We may notice an increased police presence locally after school as a precaution.

‘Charter North Dulwich’ is not mentioned in the articles; But to help keep everyone safe, please remind your child to go straight home at the end of the school day and avoid wandering or gathering in large groups. Southwark schools are in close contact.’

Students are asked to have someone ‘record’ their attack and the footage is sent to the organizer so it can be published online and awarded extra ‘points’.

The email then thanked parents and students for raising the issue, which led to the Charter School being dragged into a ‘south London war’ for eight to 11 years in social media posts.

‘We will talk to all students in the morning to address this issue,’ he said.

‘Would you please talk to the students and ensure that they do not attend any activities but go straight home after school and be with their friends and family on the way home?

‘We will be slightly staggering school dismissal tomorrow to ensure that individual year groups can move away quickly (this will be communicated tomorrow) and that a significant amount of visible staff is available after school.’

A separate note was sent to parents by the Metropolitan Police as a dispersal order for the entire Royal Borough of Greenwich from 11.30am to 10pm regarding the impact of the TikTok trend on that part of the capital.

It said: ‘We are aware that a number of posts have been circulating on social media in recent days and understand this may have caused concern among families.’

Police added that they would monitor online activity, work with social media organizations to disable accounts promoting violence and remain in contact with schools in ‘several districts’.

It continued: Police officers will continue to maintain a strong and visible presence around schools in some areas to respond promptly and decisively to any reports of violence or disorder to help ensure the safety of all young people.

‘Commanders in the eastern counties are warning people of the serious consequences of getting involved in such situations.

‘Any involvement in violence or carrying a weapon can lead to arrest, criminal charges and even imprisonment, which can have long-term effects on future opportunities.

‘We would ask that you talk to children about staying safe, making responsible choices and reporting anything that concerns them to a trusted adult.’

With police on high alert, parents at a primary school in Wandsworth have been warned of an increased police presence in the area, particularly in the popular Southside shopping center and King George’s Park.

Most of the original posts have been deleted, so it’s unclear exactly how many districts and schools were called to a series of meetings this month.

Another post laying out the ‘rules’ of school wars tells children to ‘jump’ anyone they see from the ‘opposing’ side and states they must be ‘violent’.

They are encouraged to use stationery items such as compasses, scissors and rulers from their pencil cases as weapons; There are even posters depicting kitchen knives and fireworks.

Students are also asked to have someone ‘record’ their attack and have the footage sent to the original organizer so it can be published online and given extra ‘points’.

The scoring system awards 20 points to kids who punch an ‘opp, 10 points to those who chase them, 15 points to those who ‘taint’ them (slang for stabbing) and 10 bonus points to those who record any of the above.

Since the posts began circulating online last week, parents have received emails from their children’s school principals about the alarming calls to war, reassuring them that authorities and police would be patrolling the areas.

Other posts lay out the ‘rules’ of school wars, telling children to ‘jump’ anyone they see from the ‘opposing’ side and stating they must be ‘violent’

They are encouraged to use stationery items such as compasses, scissors and rulers from their pencil cases as weapons; There are even posters depicting kitchen knives and fireworks.

Since the posts began circulating online last week, parents have received emails from their children’s school principals about the alarming calls to war, assuring them that authorities and police will be patrolling the areas.

Parents also used Facebook to alert others to posts in local community groups.

Under a post about the Redbridge schools battles, Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Ilford North, commented: ‘Council and Police are aware.

‘I expressed this at the highest levels of government.

‘I hope parents are clear that we will attack their children like a ton of bricks for this type of behaviour.’

TikTok reportedly removed posts from their platform for violating their community guidelines after the Met warned them, according to the Islington Tribune.

Last week, a meeting was held in Croydon with the police, the council and the Chief Executive for Safer Neighborhoods regarding planned school wars in the area.

The dates for the Croydon fight meetings will be next Friday, 27 February, with further meetings to follow on 2, 4, 5 and 6 March.

In the statement made after the meeting, the following statements were made: ‘We want to reassure the community that school principals in the district and the municipality are fully aware of the situation.

‘The Met Police, together with community partners, have reviewed all available information and agreed a co-ordinated response.’

This will include an increased police presence on February 27, the Old Youth Zone being open to children and young people, and community representatives being ‘presence at key locations’.

Local shopping centers Whitgift and Centrale will also provide ‘designated safe areas’.

There is no indication that the original posts were made by any child at any school mentioned.