Anger still burns over UK riots
UK: Tottenham in north London is still smouldering with anger
and frustration, one week on from the unprecedented wave of rioting,
arson and looting that broke out here then swept across England. Last
Sunday residents of the multi-ethnic neighbourhood were assessing the
scale of the damage after a night that saw running battles with riot
police, homes and businesses reduced to cinders and stores smashed into.
But while the clean-up continues and businesses get back to normal
one week on, the tension has not dissipated. Tottenham High Road, the
neighbourhood’s main thoroughfare which was the scene of last Saturday’s
explosion of violence, remained a crime scene for a week, taped off by
the police as they gathered evidence.
Saturday should have seen the area streaming with football supporters
for Tottenham Hotspur’s match against Everton as the English Premier
League season kicked off, but the game was postponed for safety reasons.
“We’re closed since last Saturday,” a Turkish restaurant owner said
as he finally reopened for business, a week on.
“People never demonstrate here to protest. Everybody’s unhappy,
frustrated. Economy, racism. And suddenly it all explodes,” he said.
The trigger for last Saturday’s riot, which then sparked a wave of
arson, looting and disorder across London and then to cities beyond, was
the death of Mark Duggan.
The 29-year-old was shot dead on Thursday, August 4 by armed police
operating with officers from Trident, the unit of London’s Metropolitan
Police that deals specifically with gun-related murders in the black
community.
AFP |