London Riots
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- Created on Tuesday, 06 September 2011 15:51
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Opinion By Larrissa Le Vasser
If you have been watching the news lately, then you have heard about the riots that took place in the United Kingdom.
If you do not watch the news, but watch TV in general, maybe you have seen something about flash-mobs; a group of people who gather around suddenly in a public place. When you hear about “flash-mobs,” the image that pops up in your head might be humorous, but the riots that took place in London were nothing to laugh at.
The riots in London were said to have been brought up after the death of Mark Duggan, a 29 year old man who was gunned down in a fatal shooting by the police on Aug. 4. The shooting happened during a planned attempt to arrest Duggan, though the reason for the arrest is still not clear. In relation to the fatal shooting, a protest was organized by friends and relatives of Duggan on Aug. 6 in hopes to get justice for his death. What started as a “peaceful” protest, turned into a riot, as more than 200 people marched to Tottenham Police Station, demanding answers.
Soon after the march in Tottenham, riots and looting began to stir up. Because of all the publicity and rumors of the rioting, “copycats” began to steal the idea, sparking more problems in four other London districts. On Aug. 9, massive numbers of police were present in London, which kept the day quiet, but that didn’t stop the copycats, who continued to wreak havoc in Birmingham, Manchester and other areas North-west of England. Stores were broken into, merchandise was stolen, vehicles and buildings were even burned down, all by the areas own resident’s!
Three men were killed in Birmingham in a hit-and-run incident due to the rioting, while looting and violence continued in two areas of Manchester and Liverpool. The total number of deaths that occurred during the riots is five, while there are more than 200 injuries, 186 of them being police.
So who, or what, is to blame here? The finger is being pointed at the police for the start of the riots. It was said that it’s their action that caused the riots to take place. I do not think I am the only one who believes that this problem existed far before the riots ever took place.
Maybe it is the portrayal of flash-mobs in the media that had influence on the young adults rioting throughout London. A lot of things shown in the media have a bad influence on young people, sending out a false message. Many people copy things they see being done, just like the “copycats” during the riots. Maybe we only have ourselves to blame for this.
Photoshop by Sheng Lor