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View Full Version : London riots: Dozens injured after Tottenham violence


Kaius
August 8th, 2011, 04:30 PM
More than 40 people have been arrested after rioting saw police attacked, buildings looted and vehicles set alight in Tottenham, north London.

Twenty-six officers and three others were hurt in the violence which erupted after a protest over the fatal shooting by police of Mark Duggan on Thursday.

Residents surveyed the damage after homes were looted and shops burnt down.

The Metropolitan Police warned over "ill-informed speculation" on social networking sites of further problems.

All injured officers have now left hospital, the force said.

The people arrested remain in custody for offences including violent disorder, burglary and theft.

Meanwhile, the family of Mr Duggan said they were "not condoning" the violence that erupted.

"Please don't make this about my brother's life, he was a good man," his brother Shaun Hall said.

BBC crime reporter Ben Ando said there were rumours in the community that a teenage girl who was part of the peaceful protest had been in a kind of confrontation with police.

He said: "That appears to be the flashpoint. That was the moment at around about just after eight o'clock when it seemed that elements in the crowd decided to pick on two police cars. They were then set on fire."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating Thursday's shooting.

A police officer was also shot in the incident, which happened in what was called a "pre-planned" event, under Operation Trident, which investigates gun crime in the African and Caribbean communities.

Police had stopped a minicab which Mr Duggan had been travelling in.

Met Commander Adrian Hanstock warned people not to believe rumours.

He said: "Throughout the day we have been monitoring social networking sites and I'd like to say right from the outset, we're conscious of some really ill-informed speculation on those sites relating to potential further problems."

On Saturday night, shops and homes were raided and cash machines ripped out in Tottenham. There were also thefts from shops in nearby Wood Green.

London Fire Brigade said it had attended 49 fires in the area.

Some smoking buildings were still being dampened on Sunday, while residents surveyed the damage from behind a police cordon.

During the riot, which erupted at about 20:20 BST, people threw petrol bombs, reducing many buildings and vehicles to charred wrecks.

A double-decker bus, two police cars and a carpet shop were among the vehicles and buildings destroyed.

Crowds of looters smashed shop windows in a retail park near Tottenham Hale tube station.

The front window of Currys electrical store was smashed and the door of Argos was shattered after looters raided the stock room.

Every handset was stolen from a mobile phone store.

Home Secretary Theresa May condemned the violence saying: "Such disregard for public safety and property will not be tolerated and the Metropolitan Police have my full support in restoring order."

Labour MP for the area David Lammy said the community which "was already hurting has had its heart ripped out". He added: "This is an attack on Tottenham, on people, shopkeepers, women, children, now standing homeless."

A Downing Street spokesman called the rioting "utterly unacceptable".
London's deputy mayor Kit Malthouse said: "It's absolutely outrageous to see it on the streets of London. We'll do as much as we can to ensure there's no recurrence tonight."

An 18-year-old man, who did not want to give his name, said: "Police know what they should have done, they should have come to speak to the community themselves. They don't care."

The Reverend Nims Obunge, Pastor at the Freedom's Ark Church, in Tottenham, said: "It is right that this community should have questions they have answered. Until those questions are answered I don't think we can effectively rebuild the community."
Teenagers and adults were said to have turned up in cars to Tottenham's retail park and filled their boots with stolen items, unimpeded by police.

Others arrived on foot and piled shopping trolleys high with looted electronic goods, a local woman, who did not want to be named, said.

Another local resident told the BBC that looting had continued beyond daybreak on Sunday.

Meanwhile, shops including Vision Express, the Body Shop and Boots, in nearby Wood Green's High Street were also raided. Two cars there were also burnt out.

The BBC's Andy Moore said that since riots in 1985, relations between the local community and police had been generally good, but last week's shooting of Mr Duggan raised tensions.

A friend of Mr Duggan, who gave her name as Niki, 53, said those who had joined Saturday's protest, which began with a march from Broadwater Farm area, wanted "justice for the family".

Source (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14435251)

Love.Hate
August 8th, 2011, 05:04 PM
Just reading that makes me feel sick. I cant believe there are people in our society like that. :/

Azunite
August 8th, 2011, 05:07 PM
This news is two-days old, how come a thread about it gets opened only today?

Kaius
August 8th, 2011, 05:08 PM
Because its only just started becoming huge news today..?

Azunite
August 8th, 2011, 05:16 PM
How? We had this on the newspaper 2 days ago.

Bougainvillea
August 8th, 2011, 05:48 PM
Because VT always provides you with the latest news source. Its two fucking days. Seriously.

I've never understood people's need to act like that. I think its why I like Japan. They are always so calm.

Syvelocin
August 8th, 2011, 07:16 PM
I'm getting really worried, honestly. I'm waking up every morning to check the news skimming through the articles to make sure it's staying away from the area my family lives in. Mmm. It seems to be staying primarily in Tottenham but it still won't leave my mind. I've got LBC on in the background as well. Probably doesn't help but I can't help myself.

embers
August 8th, 2011, 08:29 PM
The riots are spreading so fast, it fucking sickens me. To think that these riots originally started in protest of a death that nobody knows a fucking thing about, it really makes you think that surely if you want to protest about a death, you don't go around causing a lot of fucking damaging and even wounding people.

I think we can safely say that the cause for which these riots started is dead. At this very moment, it's just a bunch of fucked up youth in various cities abusing the fact that the police aren't able to stop them. It's just young people looking for a thrill, and it's fucking sickening me.

butty_92
August 11th, 2011, 09:05 AM
Although I don't condone the violence in London and other parts of the UK, to put it down as simply being 'pure criminality', as some Conservative MPs have stated is just plain stupid. This is just letting the goverment who make the policies off the hook. There has to be a reason for the violence.

For me, there are things like poverty (The Big Society), education, lack of jobs and general social policies to blame. These people obviously have to take responsibility for their actions but nothing will be sorted if politicians and the general public, simply brand them as 'thugs' or whatever derogatory term they use.

It will just make them want to revolt and hate them even more. The people going out on the streets with brooms doesn't fill me with confidence either, ok they are helping their communties but it's almost like they are saying, the state don't sort it out so we will! Conservative goverments are just bad for this country, get Labour in fast. They only party that truly care about the people of this country because with the Conservatives it's cut after cut, protest after protest, riot after riot, blah blah blah...

DoctorWho
August 13th, 2011, 02:05 AM
Has it ended

butty_92
August 17th, 2011, 09:10 PM
I wouldn't have them in jail. Cameron is coming down too hard on them. Giving them pointless sentences in already overcrowded prisons is not the answer.

They need to be made to face up to the victims of their crimes and the impacts they have had on them. Opportunities to find employment and education should then be presented, providing they stay within the law and take some responsibility. Cameron and the rest of his Tories coming down hard is rather hypocritical dare I say. Aren't his party, the ones who were cosey with Murdoch and the News of The World hacking and the expenes scandal? He should also stop slating the police and give them some respect. Britain is not broken, it's a multicultural society where communities thrive, already it is back to normal where we have picked ourselves up after what happened last week with the riots like nothing has happened! Maybe Cameron should be the one taking a long hard look at himself and his prejudicing, elitist, detached from reality party?