London calms after riots over shooting by police
Source: Agencies |
August 8, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
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LONDON was picking itself up yesterday following some of the worst violence in the UK capital for years, which politicians and police blamed on criminal thugs but residents attributed to local tensions and anger over rising financial hardship.
Rioters throwing petrol bombs rampaged overnight through an economically deprived district, setting on fire police patrol cars, buildings and a double-decker bus.
Police said 26 officers were injured as rioters bombarded them with missiles and bottles, looted buildings, including banks, shops and council offices, and torched three patrol cars near Tottenham police station in north London.
The riots erupted after a street protest over the fatal shooting of a man by armed officers this week.
Residents said they were forced to flee their homes to escape the trouble as mounted police and riot officers charged the rioters.
As day broke, the Metropolitan Police, which will handle next year's London Olympic Games in what is expected to be the UK's biggest peacetime operation, faced questions about how the trouble was allowed to escalate.
The disturbance was brought under control yesterday after hours of clashes. Buildings were still smouldering, bricks littered the roads and burglar alarms rang out.
At a retail park, electrical stores and mobile phone shops had been ransacked.
Saad Kamal, 27, branch manager of retailer JD Sports, said: "They have taken almost everything. Whatever is left is damaged."
Member of parliament David Lammy and police chiefs appealed for calm. "This must stop," Lammy said. "A community that was already hurting has now had the heart ripped out of it."
The trouble broke out on Saturday night following a peaceful -demonstration over the shooting of Mark Duggan, 29, killed after an exchange of gunfire with police on Thursday.
Duggan's death is now being investigated by the independent police watchdog.
The riots also come amid deepening gloom in Britain, with the economy struggling to grow amid deep public spending cuts and tax rises to help eliminate a budget deficit which peaked at more than 10 percent of gross domestic product.
Uzodinma Wigwe, 49, who has been made redundant from his job as a cleaner, said: "Tottenham is a deprived area. Unemployment is very high … they are frustrated."
A middle-aged man who declined to give his name said: "We know we have been victimized by this government, we know we are being neglected by the government. How can you make one million youths unemployed and expect us to sit down?"
Tottenham has a large number of ethnic minorities and includes areas with the highest unemployment rates in London.
Fingers were also pointed at the police for failing to anticipate the trouble, but Commander Adrian Hanstock blamed a "mindless minority" for the trouble.
Rioters throwing petrol bombs rampaged overnight through an economically deprived district, setting on fire police patrol cars, buildings and a double-decker bus.
Police said 26 officers were injured as rioters bombarded them with missiles and bottles, looted buildings, including banks, shops and council offices, and torched three patrol cars near Tottenham police station in north London.
The riots erupted after a street protest over the fatal shooting of a man by armed officers this week.
Residents said they were forced to flee their homes to escape the trouble as mounted police and riot officers charged the rioters.
As day broke, the Metropolitan Police, which will handle next year's London Olympic Games in what is expected to be the UK's biggest peacetime operation, faced questions about how the trouble was allowed to escalate.
The disturbance was brought under control yesterday after hours of clashes. Buildings were still smouldering, bricks littered the roads and burglar alarms rang out.
At a retail park, electrical stores and mobile phone shops had been ransacked.
Saad Kamal, 27, branch manager of retailer JD Sports, said: "They have taken almost everything. Whatever is left is damaged."
Member of parliament David Lammy and police chiefs appealed for calm. "This must stop," Lammy said. "A community that was already hurting has now had the heart ripped out of it."
The trouble broke out on Saturday night following a peaceful -demonstration over the shooting of Mark Duggan, 29, killed after an exchange of gunfire with police on Thursday.
Duggan's death is now being investigated by the independent police watchdog.
The riots also come amid deepening gloom in Britain, with the economy struggling to grow amid deep public spending cuts and tax rises to help eliminate a budget deficit which peaked at more than 10 percent of gross domestic product.
Uzodinma Wigwe, 49, who has been made redundant from his job as a cleaner, said: "Tottenham is a deprived area. Unemployment is very high … they are frustrated."
A middle-aged man who declined to give his name said: "We know we have been victimized by this government, we know we are being neglected by the government. How can you make one million youths unemployed and expect us to sit down?"
Tottenham has a large number of ethnic minorities and includes areas with the highest unemployment rates in London.
Fingers were also pointed at the police for failing to anticipate the trouble, but Commander Adrian Hanstock blamed a "mindless minority" for the trouble.
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