“Criminality, pure and simple”

Unrest, acts of violence in the UK are gaining momentum, having spread from the Tottenham district [where Duggan was shot] to Birmingham and Liverpool. CNN reports some 600 persons arrested, yet the police lack time and manpower to detect and prevent all cases of arson and store break-and-entries. BBC says about 239 persons have been detained, of whom 45 have been pressed charges. In view of the situation, Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a vacation [to Italy], flew back to London, and called an emergency [cabinet] sitting to cope with the problem. There are media reports to the effect that Cameron has ordered the cabinet members to cut short their holidays and return to their offices, something that hasn’t been done since 2001. “People should be in no doubt that we will do everything necessary to restore order to Britain’s streets and make them safe for the law-abiding,” Cameron said. He described the turbulent events in the UK as “criminality, pure and simple” and said every effort had to be made to combat it, adding that justice would prevail and the malefactors would suffer the consequences of their doings. The Guardian quotes Labour leader Ed Miliband as saying, “I am shocked by the scenes we are seeing in parts of London. This violence and vandalism is disgraceful criminal behavior.” Similar statements were made, among others, by ex-Mayor of London Ken Livingstone who condemned social networks for letting people arrange such unrest much faster than in the early 1980s. Apart from Twitter and Facebook, BlackBerry Messenger in smartphones is believed to have been extensively used by those who organized the riots. This fact may partially explain the good organization of raids on shops and stores. There is www.riotcleanup.com urging Londoners to rid the British capital of the consequences of five days of riots, listing items such as gloves, heavy duty sacks, brooms, brushes and marker pens, scotch tape, brooms, scoops, and so on. BBC says there are some 100 volunteers cleaning up London streets.

The Day asked Isabella Cota Schwarz, Content Manager at Thomson Reuters and independent blogger, London, for comment, particularly in regard to the riots spreading from London to other parts of Great Britain.

“One of the reasons behind the riots is the progress of information technologies that sped up the organization of people who sought destruction. The information we’re receiving indicates that these people are using BlackBerry, the most affordable kind of smartphones that provides quick and reliable messaging. The police are unable to intercept these messages. Riots are rampant where there are chains of stores and huge shopping malls, in [city] districts that have declined of late. This is characteristic of the scenes of riots.”

Why are the police unable to stop this outrage?

“A very good question. No one seems to know why. Some accuse the police of taking their time responding to the acts of public unrest. The police lack manpower to stop the riots. Others say the police were simply getting ready for this outburst of violence and that they are now ready to haul in all of the transgressors.”

What made those people start rioting?

“It’s hard to explain. I don’t think there was just one reason behind all this. This phenomenon should be regarded as a series of circumstances that caused the riots. There is a great deal of public displeasure with the Cameron administration’s budget appropriation cuts. Also, these people got organized for want of what others possessed in London and elsewhere in Great Britain. Most of the rioters are young people; they just wanted to take an opportunity to express themselves. The shootout between the police and that Londoner untied their hands and triggered off the riots. Another important aspect is that the media failed to timely explain what was happening, what the rioters actually wanted. We heard about the riots from different sources, ranging from police officers to politicians, but not from the protesters. We still don’t know what made them riot. This has caused confusion within society. Scenes of arson and the most shocking footage are excessively played by television. It is important for the public to be well informed, so the task of the media is to simply explain what is happening and why. Anyway, they have been doing a good job.”

What course these events are likely to take?

“I believe that everything will quiet down, then there will be many arrests, and the public opinion will continue to vary. Otherwise I can’t imagine how long this unrest will take. I think no one can answer this question.”

How are the people and government responding to these riots?

“Everyone is condemning them, just as everyone is scared. We haven’t got over the shock. The government has strongly condemned these riots and assured the population that the police are keeping the situation under control. If the police can re-establish law and order quickly enough, they will earn a good reputation before the 2012 Olympics. Prime Minister David Cameron cut short his holiday to hold an emergency cabinet sitting. There are also regular statements by politicians to make us sure that the population is safe.”