[googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”stanga”]Riots have spread across England capital on a third night of violence, with disturbances flaring up in other cities – Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham and Bristol.
In addition to the regular street police officers number, another 1,700 were deployed in London, where stores were looted and buildings were torched.
The British PM, David Cameron has returned earlier from his vacation to discuss the unrest, which first flared on Saturday after a peaceful protest in Tottenham over the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan by police.
The British PM, David Cameron has returned earlier from his vacation to discuss the unrest
At least 400 people have been arrested following the street violence across London over the last three days, the London Metropolitan Police said.
According to Scotland Yard, 69 people had been charged with offences.
Steven Kavanagh, Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner told to BBC Breakfast
“It was a shocking and appalling morning for London to wake up to”
“The Met (Metropolitan London Police) was stretched beyond belief in a way that it has never experienced before.”
When asked at what stage he would consider bringing in the Army, he responded by saying “all options are being considered”.
3 people have been arrested today on suspicion of attempted murder after a police officer was injured by a car in Brent, Northwest London, while trying to stop suspected looters.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]The PM David Cameron will chair an emergency meeting in Downing Street 10 as Britain faces the worst night of rioting in the last 20 years.
He’s shortened his summer holiday and flown back from Italy to deal with the escalating crisis.
David Cameron will meet Home Secretary, Theresa May and Acting Scotland Yard Commissioner, Tim Godwin before chairing a meeting of the Cobra emergency planning committee (the Government’s emergency committee) at 9 a.m., local time.
Asked why the PM had now decided to return from his vacation, after previously saying he would not, a Downing Street source said:
“The situation has become more serious.”
For David Cameron this situation could be a key moment that shapes how his premiership is seen.
A failure to maintain safety on the streets is seen to be a government failure and he can’t afford for there to be a fourth night of disturbances.
Although Downing Street says David Cameron had been monitoring the situation on “an hourly basis” while on holiday, he appeared well behind the curve of public anger at the rioting.
On the other hand, David Cameron must be aware that some in his own party and in right-leaning papers will be ready to cite the riots as evidence that the prime minister is not sufficiently focused on law and order.
The BBC Daily Politics presenter, Andrew Neil, writing on Twitter, said the riots were the prime minister’s “first real crisis”,
adding “now we will find out if Mr. Cameron is composed of the stuff of leadership”.
England riots mapping
Police have struggled to curb the wave of mob violence, which began on Saturday night in Tottenham, Northern London, when a peaceful march against the police deadly shooting of a local man, 29-year-old Mark Duggan, turned into a chaos.
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Birmingham outbreak.
Birmingham was the first city, after London, where rioting has erupted in, with store windows being smashed and shops being looted during what police described as “mindless thuggery”.
Birmingham was the first city, after London, where rioting has erupted in, with store windows being smashed and shops being looted
A police station in Handsworth, about 3 miles out of the city centre, was later reported by police to be set ablaze.
Among the shops damaged in the city centre were a McDonald’s restaurant and an Armani store at the Mailbox shopping centre which was looted.
According to the police, about 100 people had been arrested, many of them young people.
11 people have been taken to a number of hospitals in the city.
The riots started during the early evening. At 23:45, local time, West Midlands Police confirmed the police station in Holyhead Road was on fire and also reported some of its cars had come under attack on Holyhead Road.
Ambulance crews said they had been called to 24 incidents – mostly treating people who had been assaulted.
Injuries included cuts and bruises to the head and a dislocated knee.
[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]Police urged parents to contact their children and get them to return home.
West Midlands Police said 4 people were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary, 4 for violent disorder and one for a breach of the peace.
West Midlands Police Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe said she still had a significant number of officers in Birmingham city centre.
“There is still outbreaks of violence and looting of shops is still taking place.”
“We will continue to make arrests while this mindless thuggery takes place in our city centre. It is totally unacceptable.”
She added her first priority was to bring calm back to the city centre and appealed to parents to phone their children and get them to come home.
Police had been aware of “Twitter intelligence” from lunchtime, suggesting there would be trouble in the city during the evening.
Police said officers were controlling access on some of the routes into Birmingham.
Police in riot gear were positioned in several parts of the city centre, with some advising onlookers to get off the streets.
Police have also urged people to think twice before calling emergency services with non-urgent calls as there is high demand for services.
Shabana Mahmood, Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood, said it was “mindless criminality”.
“Obviously we have to have a debate and consider whether there are underlying reasons and learn some of the lessons potentially from some of these incidents as well.”
“I think that’s a debate for another day really because I think at the moment, the really important thing is that we need to support the police in the work they’re doing.”
Councilor Paul Tilsley, deputy leader of the city council, said the authority would make every effort possible from first light on Tuesday to clear up any damage and bring normality back to the city.
“To this end we’d stress to retailers, workers and shoppers alike that the city remains very much open for business and would encourage them to come in as normal tomorrow.”
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Liverpool.
Police in Liverpool have been dealing with a number of “isolated outbreaks” of disorder, including reports of vehicles on fire and criminal damage.
Merseyside Police said a number of officers were deployed to the south of the city after being called to reports of disorder at 22:00, local time, on Monday.
There have been reports of objects being thrown at riot police and their vans.
There were reports from an eyewitness of up to 200 youths wearing masks in Toxteth.
High Park Street was partly blocked by police with vans and officers wearing riot gear as a group of youths gathered in Dingle.
A police helicopter circled the area.
There were reports of a 10-minute stand-off in Admiral Street, with youths throwing bottles, cans and sticks at riot police.
The youths eventually dispersed into three separate groups.
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Assistant Chief Constable, Andy Ward said:
“Officers have tonight dealt with a small number of incidents of violence across the city.”
“We will not tolerate any violence on the streets of Liverpool and have taken swift and robust action in response.”
“We will work hard to ensure the people involved in the incidents are brought to justice.”
“Merseyside Police has good links with communities across the region and over the last two days we have worked closely with residents to assess tensions within the community.”
“We will continue to work with community leaders across the region to ensure an appropriate response to any incidents that occur.”
Public was advised to avoid the Smithdown Road, Upper Parliament Street, Lodge Lane and Lawrence Road.
Bristol.
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Monday evening, several stores have been damaged and cars set on fire after disorder broke out in parts of Bristol.
About 150 people have been involved in the disturbances in several areas, including the city centre and the Cabot Circus and Broadmead areas.
Avon and Somerset Police said 4 arrests were made but more were expected, as CCTV is reviewed.
A police spokesman said the force had been prepared for the possibility of disorder following events in other parts of the UK and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
The disturbances were eventually brought to an end in the early hours of Tuesday.
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After last weekend two nights of violence and looting following protests at Mark Duggan’s death on Thursday, London Police and residents are again bracing themselves for disruption.
The today riots began in Hackney with a small blaze of a terraced house, but the flames quickly spread and appeared to have engulfed all three floors.
Local police officers said shops in Hackney began closing their shutters after hearing “rumours”of trouble initially emanating from BlackBerry Messenger exchanges. Most of the stores had locked up by early afternoon as support officers began arriving in increasing numbers in the vicinity of Hackney Central railway station and three masked youths riding bicycles appeared on the main shopping thoroughfare of Mare Street.
After last weekend two nights of violence and looting following protests at Mark Duggan’s death on Thursday, London Police and residents are again bracing themselves for disruption
The new street violence started shortly after a large group of police detained two men against the wall of Hackney’s Old Town Hall
The new street violence started shortly after a large group of police detained two men against the wall of Hackney’s Old Town Hall building, now a betting shop, and a crowd gathered to watch, many of them photographing the events. After some brief skirmishes and an angry verbal tirade against a police cluster by a young woman in the graveyard to the rear of the betting shop, an officer shouted to a colleague to “get the Natos,” a reference to riot helmets.
Groups of rioters began attacking the officers at about 16:20 p.m. local time, throwing rocks and a bin at officers.
A line of riot police was confronting people, some of them masked, while police helicopters were flying low overhead.
Some of the youths tried to rush the police line, they were throwing rocks. The police pushed back, sending the crowds running down Mare Street.
Some of the youths tried to rush the police line, they were throwing rocks. The police pushed back, sending the crowds running down Mare Street.
Police vehicles and officers in helmets holding riot shields eventually blocked off access to Mare Street south of its pedestrian Narrow Way section and the railway bridge, as buses backed up along adjoining Amhurst Road.
The rioters were about 100 running battles with police at the Bethnal Green end of Mare Street
The rioters were about 100 running battles with police at the Bethnal Green end of Mare Street. Youths were looting shops, including the boarded-up Texaco garage. Bottle banks on Mare Street have been upended to provide ammunition for launching at police. Many of them were walking around with spoils of their looting, swigging from bottles of Martell.
Pale, the owner of the looted Texaco garage on Mare Street said:
“They just barged in, took everything … that’s 24 years of my life gone. I’ve never seen anything like that. I didn’t try to stop them, my life is worth more than that.”
Even the Co-operative Funeral Care Home on Mare Street was boarded up – next door they are looting the Cash X-Change.
Reactions of the viewers varied from a man telling an officer moving a youth on to:
“Get your hands off him, pig!”
to an afterschool club worker declaring to police that
“These kids shouldn’t be out here, they should be back in their yard,”
and saying that if she was in charge of dealing with rioters she’d “tear gas their asses”.
Traffic was backed up, buses were stopped, most of them being empty and hit by stones. Police cars were also being smashed by youths, who were armed with wooden poles and metal bars. Looters also smashed their way into shops, including a JD Sports store, before police lines dispersed the group. Planks of wood taken from a lorry were then hurled towards riot officers.
Trains were not stopping at Hackney Central and buses are being diverted from the area.
Looters smashed their way into shops
Violence has also broken out in Peckham, South London, where a bus has been torched on Peckham High Street.
In nearby Lewisham, a trail of bins and a number of vehicles were on fire.
At 7 p.m., local time, police have regained control of Mare Street.
A large numbers of masked youths were still in the area at that moment. Car burned out on Ellingfort road off Mare Street.
A policeman says they were busy “sterilizing the area”.
Boris Johnson, London’s mayor cut short his holiday to return to the city, where more than 200 people have been arrested and 35 officers injured.
Home Secretary, Theresa May also returned early from holiday, to meet Acting Metropolitan Police (Met) Commissioner Tim Godwin and other senior officers.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Stephen Kavanagh said they discussed the police response to the violence.
“They were looking at preparations for tonight (Monday) to make sure any violence is dealt with quickly.”
Theresa May condemned the riots as “sheer criminality” and said those responsible would “face the consequences of their actions”.
“The riots in Tottenham on Saturday night and the subsequent disturbances in other parts of London are totally unacceptable.”
She also paid tribute to the bravery of police officers and urged local communities “to work constructively with the police to help them bring these criminals to justice”.
Theresa May said at least 215 people had been arrested and 25 people charged.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Stephen Kavanagh said there were “significant resources” on the streets, with a third more officers on duty than on Sunday.
He added:
“What we can see is that the Metropolitan Police are getting police officers there in numbers”.
“When we have large numbers of criminals intent on that type of violence, we can only do that, get lots of officers there quickly and try to protect local businesses and local people.”
He also admitted relations with the family of the man shot dead by police could have been handled better.
In addition, Stephen Kavanagh said:
“I want to apologise to the Duggan family because I think both the IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) and the Metropolitan Police could have managed that family’s needs more effectively.”
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According to the police reports, the weapon being carried by Mark Duggan on Thursday was a converted handgun capable of firing real ammunition.
Two police cars and a double decker bus were torched and several local stores were looted by violent rioters last weekend in northern London, Tottenham.
Riots began Saturday evening after more than 120 people marched from Broadwater Farm to Tottenham police station to demand “justice” over the Thursday deadly shooting of a young black man, Mark Duggan, by the police.
Forensic tests on Mark Duggan’s death are being carried out on the handgun found at the scene of Duggan’s fatal shooting and bullets fired by the police.
Mark Duggan was shot by the police on Thursday August, 4
Ballistics experts have established that the firearm being carried in the minicab was a lethal weapon. It used to be a handgun which previously had not been capable of firing – a replica, a starting pistol or a collector’s weapon. But the gun had been converted, as many illegal firearms purchased on the street are – in order to carry real ammunition.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said they hope to have a more complete ballistics picture within 24 hours, which seems to be a complex picture, involving a number of tests to establish trajectory of bullets and how many were fired.
According to Sky the C019, firearms officer said that he never claimed Duggan had shot at him.
The officer involved in Thursday evening attempted arrest told investigators that he opened fire because he believed he was in danger from a lethal weapon. Two shots were fired; one hit Duggan and one missed lodging in another officer’s radio.
Forensic tests will establish eventually if Mark Duggan fired his weapon at all during the attempted arrest.
Rachel Cerfontyne, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) commissioner in charge of the independent investigation into Mark Duggan’s fatal shooting said:
“IPCC investigators are currently liaising with scientists at the Forensic Science Service regarding analysis on ballistics. We would anticipate being in a position to share verified results within the next 24 hours.”
According to The Guardian Monday report, initial ballistics tests on a bullet found lodged in a firearms officer’s police radio was a police issue bullet – indicating that Duggan had not opened fire at the officer.
Concluding precisely what really happened when Trident officers, supported by members of the Metropolitan Police stopped the minicab carrying Mark Duggan on Thursday evening relies heavily on the ballistics results and the trajectory on the bullets fired.
Ballistic tests are also carried out to establish the range at which the shots were fired at Duggan. The Metropolitan Police joined the IPCC to say that any suggestion he was killed in an execution style shooting by shots to the head was “inflammatory” and inaccurate.
The IPCC said yesterday that Mark Duggan’s family is being kept up to date with developments.
Rachel Cerfontyne said the family’s concerns were not about contact with the IPCC but the lack of contact from the police in delivering news of his death to Mark Duggan’s parents.
“In the course of our contact (with the family) I know that the family – and indeed the community still have many unanswered questions,”
Rachel Cerfontyne said.
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Two police cars and a double decker bus were torched and several local stores were looted by violent rioters yesterday night in northern London, Tottenham.
According to the eyewitnesses it was a chaos which rages for hours and fires blazed throughout the night while police tried to get the scene under control. People estimated there were 400-500 demonstrators in the streets.
Northern London riots, August 7, 2011
Maria Robinson, Tottenham resident, described the scene in an interview with the BBC.
“The police are hiding. I actually saw a group of police officers run through an alley away from a group of people that are running towards them,” Robinson said.
“The police seem very frightened of the situation at the moment.”
As a result of last Saturday night riots, 26 police officers and 3 others were injured and 42 people have been arrested.
London Metropolitan Police admitted they “had not anticipated” the violence, which came in response to the death of 29-year-old Mark Duggan, shot by police officers on Thursday.
What began as a peaceful march for Mark Duggan exploded into violent street riots when the event was “hijacked by mindless thugs,” police told the Guardian.
Mark Duggan, a black father of four, was killed by police after he was pulled over in a minicab and officers attempted to arrest him. Details on the circumstances of his death remain unclear as police have not released information about why Mark Duggan was pulled over or who shot him.
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The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) release statement concerning Mark Duggan:
“I understand the distress that the shooting of Mark Duggan has caused to his family and in the community and that people need answers about what happened to him,” an IPCC spokesman said.
“This case (Mark Duggan) was referred to the IPCC immediately and we declared it an independent investigation and sent our investigators straight to the scene in Tottenham, where they took control and remained until late Friday night, supervising the forensic examinations. An independent investigation means that all aspects are carried out by IPCC investigators.
“We are in close contact with Mark Duggan’s family and supported 14 family members and friends in viewing and formally identifying Mr Duggan’s body. We have been in telephone contact with close family tonight and have further meetings with them tomorrow.
“I have tonight spoken to community representatives and hope to meet with them and others as early as possible. I remain in frequent contact with David Lammy, the local MP.
“We are still gathering evidence and will release further details about our progress with the investigation as soon as we can.”
David Lammy , member of Parliament for Tottenham , decried the violence, telling reporters that many of the violent protesters “were not from Tottenham” but had traveled to join in the looting.
“A community that was already hurting has had its heart ripped out,” David Lammy said.
The incident seemed to be very similar to Tottenham’s 1985 Broadwater Farm riot, an outbreak of violence sparked by the death of Cynthia Jarrett, a woman who died while police officers were searching her home in connection with her son’s arrest. Cynthia Jarrett’s death was followed by rioting which turned violent, ending in the death of police officer Keith Blakelock.
Tottenham residents said tensions have eased in recent years between the community and the police, but Mark Duggan’s death seems to have ignited the old hostilities.
