Tuesday, 9 August 2011

2111 London Burns

As I feared and over the past year have warned, open defiance of the police and lawlessness has spread throughout London and to other cities in England, notably Birmingham, Liverpool and Bristol with also unconfirmed reports of trouble in Nottingham and Leeds. In London the areas involved included Brent `Chalk Farm in Camden Catford Clapham Croydon Ealing East Dulwich Enfield Hackney Ilford Lewisham Peckham Woolwich Woodford in addition to Tottenham on Saturday and other areas such as Islington on Sunday. The precipitating cause of the rioting which commenced three nights ago is the shooting of an alleged drug dealer and gun trafficker.

There were three images from areas of rioting last night which affected me deeply.

In Croydon, I have known since my childhood, the furniture shops on both sides of the road at the southern entrance to the town from Wallington, called Reeves Corner. The stores have been run by five generations of the same family. As a child we would take the trolley bus to Reeves Corner and then walk up the road to the famous Kennard’s store the first departmental store in London, to Grants a more up market store and to Surrey Street the market street. It is an area which I have continued to visit staying as I do in Croydon on my trips each year. Here the Reeves Store on one side of the road was burnt to the ground, the fire brigade saying that they were unable to deploy. It is said a thousand young men rioted, looted, setting on fire cars as well as buildings. One man aged 26 has died of a gun shot would. One young woman can be seen jumping from her flat into the arms of the fire brigade officers as the building. People had known that trouble was expected with shop keepers advised to shut at tea time. I have been told that trouble in neighbouring Sutton is expected today.

I worked for the London Borough of Ealing for three years between 1967 and 1969 working a short distance from Ealing Green and although it is regarded as an affluent Borough, the Borough includes Acton and Southall as well as Hanwell and Greenford. It was then an area predominated by immigrants from the West Indies in Acton, the Indian Sub Continent in Southall with also refugees from Hungary and Poland and also economic migrants from Northern Ireland and Eire. Here there were restaurants smashed and a shop of baby goods, with baby clothing hung on nearby trees as well as cars set on far and major stores looted.

The third image is from Clapham an area which I came to know over a period of several years when a relative lives a short distance away from Clapham Junction railway station. Again it is an area which has become significantly multiracial over recent decades. Here young people were able to smash there way into shops and take away goods including the Debenham departmental store, during a period of two hours without the intervention of the police.

As I write this I am awaiting a statement from the Prime Minister who has chaired a meeting of the National Emergency committee following his belated overnight return from holiday, as did the Home Secretary and with Mayor of London still to return.

What the Prime Minister said I could have written beforehand and it revealed his uncertainty in what will happen later to day and as the week progresses. He made two announcements. The first is that all police leave has been cancelled and all special constables have been told to report for duty. A total of 16000 police will be on the streets. However the question must be asked where were the police yesterday and why did it take so long for them to react? I will attempt to answer this question in advance of the recall of Parliament on Thursday when I imagine similar questions will be raised
First I want to make two things clear. The behaviour which we all witnessed on television last night and which occurred over the two previous nights is unacceptable and must be stopped and those proved to have participated should be arrested, charged and punished before the courts. I concur with the view that parents, family and friends of those who have been involved need to now report that behaviour to the authorities for appropriate action to be taken and to return to their owners any of the goods that have been taken. They need to ensure that the young people, primarily men, are not allowed out on their own until the authorities are able to bring the situation under control.

If there is evidence that any individuals or groups organised the rioting they should also be apprehended and face the full force of the law. It robust measures need to be taken by the police to restore order then such action must be authorised and my understanding is that the police have been ordered to take what action is required to immediately restore order to the capital and other cities.

Secondly I want to emphasise that it will be playing into the hands of professional criminals, extreme political ideologists and agitators and elements with the police, the media and other interests if long term measures are adopted which turn the UK into more of a surveillance and police state than it has already become, Moves such curfews, use of troops, water cannon, stun guns, rubber bullets and such like should be avoided unless order is not restored and any use should be temporary.

I must however also suggest that some senior police officers in the capital and elsewhere will not be displeased by what happened last night as it reinforces the case being made through their associations against the financial reductions and service conditions and operational changes being required by the government. In fact they even warned that what happened last night would. Over the past five years there have also been individual and general who call into the question the truthfulness of individual police officers, its publicity section and the approach of is senior officers. There was the disgraceful shooting dead of the South American accused of being a terrorist when there was no foundation to such a claim and then with the G8 meeting in London the manslaughter of a news seller attempting to get home after being caught in the kettling.

The way the police failed to control the rioting after the against the cuts rally London just a few months ago also raised questions about their willingness to intervene once lawlessness breaks out. They appear to be putting their own immediate welfare before that of the public and if so this needs to be stopped. They appear to have developed a strategy of allowing the rioting to continue trying to contain and disperse while recording the actionists on camera with a view to subsequent identification, arrest and charging. Given the expectation that there will be further attempts to challenge the police later today I hope the approach will change.

The damage done to the reputation of the UK International cannot be underestimated especially as representatives of the 200 International Olympic committees are in the capital planning for next year. Ed Miliband has returned from recuperating after his operation on his nose. His response will be crucial to see if can effectively represent the views of the law abiding. He has made the point that the police approach of no go areas was wrong and should stop.

The reports:
From Liverpool Echo described as scene like the end of a football match with the rioters attacking the police with bricks, stones and bottles, setting fire to cars and tyres in the Toxteth area scene of rioting 25 years ago. In Birmingham the post features the destruction of Jamie Oliver Bullring restaurant with windows gone the area closed but his staff and customers all safe. From Guardian re Bristol cars and bins were set on fire before raids on city centre stores including from a Jewellers and McDonald’s and a Tesco’s. From the London Evening Standards there is reference to a 46 video clip of an unknown elderly black woman with stick berating looters in Hackney High Street. She has been watched by one million people todate. Over 100 youths were involved in Lewisham destroying a night spot for the drink store and cash from fruit machines and tills. Two Muslims and their children were forced from their car which was hijacked to take a wounded rioter to hospital. Also in Croydon a double decker bus was set on fire and among stores attacked were Lydl and Argos. In Ealing private houses were attacked. A 24 hour store owner closed on advice from the police and then watch rioters smash their way in and loot destroying everything they could.

Good news clean ups being organised at Croydon, Ealing, Hackney, Lewisham, Chalk Farm and Clapham subject to police permission as evidence collated.

Some 500 detectives deployed in London to find culprits and prosecute.








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