Londoners riot after police shooting

LONDON - The gritty north London neighborhood of Tottenham exploded in anger Saturday night after a young man was shot to death by police.

Two patrol cars, a building and a double-decker bus were torched as rioters clashed with officers in front of the Tottenham Police Station, where people had gathered to demand "justice" for the death of a 29-year-old killed in an apparent gunfight.

"It's really bad," said local resident David Akinsanya, 46. "There are two police cars on fire. I'm feeling unsafe."

Sirens could be heard across the city as authorities rushed reinforcements to the scene. In Tottenham shop windows were smashed as residents looted the stores, pushing shopping carts full of stolen goods down the street.

Officers in riot gear and on horseback pushed up against the demonstrators. Akinsaya put the number of demonstrators at between 400 and 500. Police said there were about 300 people gathered.

Miles from the tourist hotspots of central London, Tottenham is one of the most deprived areas in all of England, with nearly half of all children living in poverty, according to campaigners. The area is very diverse and home to one of the capital's biggest black populations.

The area also has a history of racial tension and anti-police feeling.

In 1985, Tottenham was the scene of a deadly riot after a local woman suffered heart failure when her home was raided by the police. The Tottenham riots were among the most violent in the country's history, with one officer stabbed to death as he tried to protect firefighters and nearly 60 others hospitalized.

[British_Limey]

The majority of people in the UK (myself included) are watching this in total shock and horror, to us its liking watching some thing happening in another country (dare I say reminisent of previous riots in LA).
Lets get some facts straight here.. this was not some 'unfortunate mistaken shooting' the guy was a known gang member who went around with a gun (something that is not routine for us Brits!)so during an armed 'sting' by the police shots were exchanged and he ended up dead. You dabble in that sort of world you pay the price.
However.. and presenting a balanced view, the Met(Metropoitan Police)are not exactly renowed for their squeaky clean image, institutional rascism is rife as is corruption, and no doubt this has enflamed tensions in that part of London.
I dont think that this is purely a race issue, its a whole load of things combining to create a tinder box, a tinder box that ignnited over the weekend.
I could understand (although not agree) if the violence was aimed purely at the police, but this has now evolved into plain looting and theft, and they are just harming their own community??

[ReckonedTruth]

It's Obama fault, really?

Even what happens in London when a londoner is shot/killed unjustified by london police?

How ignorant is race based thinking America?

Let me add, if you want to use race as an inherent justification of reason, then you'll have to admit those as a majority in the U.S. on welfare, food stamps, social entitilements programs, etc., are white americans. So according to race based thinkers upon opinion, americans on welfare/social programs by all accounts are white americans who don't want to work? Of course that's not true, would any white american admit this as the truth? However according to opinion, this only applies to non-white americans on welfare/social entitlements, right? How hideous!

Can we as americans change the fundamentalism idealogy as race based thinkers? Yes, when we realize for hundreths of years discrimination in america purposelly was set forth to STOP people of color americans from being EQUAL to white americans. It's a reckoned truth we can't deny, however, every American is responsible to shelf no matter, what race, creed, sexuality or faith belief, because of our freedoms to UNITE as americans to lift this nation as the UNITED STATES.

So when I read hideous comments on this thread, demise/destruction is going to increase on our check list because of division. Our nation needs to LEARN .. this is the UNITED STATES, not the divided states. We just DON'T get it as a nation which is apparent, WE ARE ALL AMERICANS and yes CONGRESS, both side of the aisle has failed the american people for decades and here we are, we have abolished the american middle class.

The American tax payers and voters can fix America as result of term limits in congress for starters. I'm not in favor of the tea party movement because of their racial componment, however, I understand their concerns toward fiscal irresponsibility, but their stance (5) years ago using racial epithet is a blemish .. the tea party movement CAN'T erase or forgotten by the above average intelligent american.

Prayers go out to families of our military troops loss in combat, currently, the most recent Navy Seals...

[LDNER]

Everyone saying this is a race issue has No idea what they are talking about.

[tsigili]

This appears to have the earmarks, of the conflict between the Brits and the Irish.

The reality is.....when a cop is fired upon, by a citizen, he should expect return fire, whether a specific ethnic group, likes it, or not.

Violence accomplishes nothing, but some groups simply lash out, without caring whether the police acted properly, or not.

[nojoy01]

"Violence accomplishes nothing..."
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Actually, history shows us that violence accomplishes/has accomplished a great deal. For confirmation we should conjure up the ghosts of Adolph, Tojo, Uncle Joe (Stalin), Chairman Mao, Jefferson Davis, and Abraham Lincoln to have their input. If, however, you are speaking of UNORGANIZED violence, then I'd be inclined to agree with you.

[johnpatrick1]

Duh..its called Poverty, lack of meaningful, decently paid work,lack of hope...the result is what we are seeing in the Mideast and now Israel and Greece and oh maybe very soon here in the Military-Industrial-Corporate oligarchy called the so called American Republic..which is really the American Empire....and a declining one at that.

[pbaird2]

When communities recognize tolerating criminal activity will no longer be acceptable and support law enforcement those communities will have peace and respect. These communities, all across the globe, band together to subvert civilized law and government; then, use any excuse to destroy and steal. Sadly, this is a world-wide issue.

[dantom39]

Keep sugar coating the problem and it will never go away liberal B/S

[askagain]

LDNER
You ignorant fool......IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE OR IMMIGRATION!

***************************************
Really. If race and immigration don't have anything to do with it, what then is the cause? Europe definitely has an immigration problem. There are large custers of immigrants living in virtual isolation from the rest of the Europeans. They are often poor, uneducated, and unemployed. And yes, they shun assimilating with other Europeans. Now that is the rest of the story.

[WeHappyFew]

This was a protest over the police shooting of a man on Thursday. The whole community not just young black men. However it turned into a riot.

There has been increasing tension over the Met gun crackdown Operation Trident which would appears be a good thing but when you factor in that individual officers are involved in drug dealing and gun running you can see why this is a tinderbox.

In this area the gang bosses have been given the tacit permission to run these areas any which way but loose as long as the problem doesn't spread into more salubrious areas.

Immigration does play a role. Moving war hardened West Africans in with the established West Indians and East Nilo-Saharan muslims and the increasingly militant South Asians into the mix which is causing the turf wars.

Community leaders fallaciously believe that the police are moving guns and drugs into these areas.

[Grad1]

Perhaps these countries should be more careful as to whom they allow in. It would seem to me that many of these people in this section of London would not have been able to show any kind of specialized skill, etc., that would have benefitted Britain, and they settle in and these situations are created through lack of drive, refusal to assimilate, etc. For the sake of both sides, perhaps a little caution is in order here when it comes to immigration policies.

[LDNER]

You ignorant fool......IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE OR IMMIGRATION!

[Grad1]

Oh, well. If you say so.