Tottenham in London is what politicians quaintly describe as a 'vibrant multicultural' area ... Wiki describes it a 'multicultural hotspot', meaning its has a large Afro-Caribbean community, and consequently very high crime rates, loads of gun crimes, a large lawless 'Gangsta' community, hoodies, drug wars, and the highest unemployment rate in London .... it was also the scene of the 1985 Broadwater Farm riot.
Last night they had what passes for a peaceful protest in a 'multicultural hotspot', over a shooting. Not because of the shooting per se, no, they have shootings in Tottenham regularly, drive by gang shootings are common in the area. No, what kicked off the 'peaceful protest' was that the police shot a man who was allegedly carrying and used an illegal weapon in the back of a mini cab .... obviously he was immediately classed as a pillar of the local community, and the killing as a 'police assassination' by locals.
The man was named as Mark Duggan (aka Starrish Mark) and the killing was being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, although the evidence on the BBC website suggests that there was no illegal activity by the police. It gives a description by local resident David Akinsanya, who was at the scene of the fatal shooting soon after the incident, who said that an eye witness had told him that a police officer had shouted to the man to stop "a couple of times", but the man had not heeded the warning.
Still, we have the right to 'peaceful protest' in the UK, although they may not have considered what this might mean in a 'multicultural hotspot' when that right was given .... but Quelle surprise! within 5 minutes of the crowd gathering, the first bricks were volleyed at the local police station, followed by petrol bombs, and then the 'peaceful protesters' decided that a local 'carpet shop' needed to be taught a lesson as well, and it was torched. This was then followed by the looting and torching of the local supermarkets, a local bank cash machine, PC world, local shops, and in fact, anything that could conceivably have any value was looted, before the properties were torched.
Above all these buildings were occupied residential properties and flats, the residents of these buildings had to run for their lives as these 'protesters' wilfully burnt every building. Even this morning the police don't know if any residents were killed in the fires .... no doubt the apologists for this sort of 'cultural' activity will be out in force today ... suddenly the theft, arson and possible attempted murder (eight police officers in hospital, and a search underway for any bodies in the burnt out shells of the flats), will all be condoned by local 'spokespersons'.
As for the police, well whether their hands were tied or they were being led by some officer who believes all the PC crap about 'sensitive policing', will no doubt come out in the endless enquiries that will be instigated to 'explain why this happened' (its a 'multicultural hotspot', that's why it happened .... they don't like being policed, end of story), but last night, all reports suggest that they were impotent and allowed the looting to go unchecked, and this was followed by the arson.
No doubt yet more public funds will be wasted trying to get businesses to rebuild again in the area, but considering the propensity of the local community to looting them, I suspect that they will all think long and hard about this .... I was in Manchester during the Moss-Side riots, when princess road was burnt to the ground ... it took over a decade for the road to recover its shops.
Last night they had what passes for a peaceful protest in a 'multicultural hotspot', over a shooting. Not because of the shooting per se, no, they have shootings in Tottenham regularly, drive by gang shootings are common in the area. No, what kicked off the 'peaceful protest' was that the police shot a man who was allegedly carrying and used an illegal weapon in the back of a mini cab .... obviously he was immediately classed as a pillar of the local community, and the killing as a 'police assassination' by locals.
The man was named as Mark Duggan (aka Starrish Mark) and the killing was being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, although the evidence on the BBC website suggests that there was no illegal activity by the police. It gives a description by local resident David Akinsanya, who was at the scene of the fatal shooting soon after the incident, who said that an eye witness had told him that a police officer had shouted to the man to stop "a couple of times", but the man had not heeded the warning.
Still, we have the right to 'peaceful protest' in the UK, although they may not have considered what this might mean in a 'multicultural hotspot' when that right was given .... but Quelle surprise! within 5 minutes of the crowd gathering, the first bricks were volleyed at the local police station, followed by petrol bombs, and then the 'peaceful protesters' decided that a local 'carpet shop' needed to be taught a lesson as well, and it was torched. This was then followed by the looting and torching of the local supermarkets, a local bank cash machine, PC world, local shops, and in fact, anything that could conceivably have any value was looted, before the properties were torched.
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| Wecome to Tottenham |
As for the police, well whether their hands were tied or they were being led by some officer who believes all the PC crap about 'sensitive policing', will no doubt come out in the endless enquiries that will be instigated to 'explain why this happened' (its a 'multicultural hotspot', that's why it happened .... they don't like being policed, end of story), but last night, all reports suggest that they were impotent and allowed the looting to go unchecked, and this was followed by the arson.
No doubt yet more public funds will be wasted trying to get businesses to rebuild again in the area, but considering the propensity of the local community to looting them, I suspect that they will all think long and hard about this .... I was in Manchester during the Moss-Side riots, when princess road was burnt to the ground ... it took over a decade for the road to recover its shops.
