Britain burning: First fatality registered as mayhem escalates
Ten thousand more policemen fanned out across London’s streets on Tuesday amid fears that widespread rioting would continue for the fourth night in succession.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, who cut short a family holiday in Tuscany to deal with the crisis, said 16,000 police officers would be on the streets on Tuesday night, compared to the 6,000 out the previous night.
Hours before, a gang of about 200 hurled missiles at police in riot gear, set vehicles alight and smashed shops in the town of West Bromwich, near Birmingham, according to police and a BBC report.
Television pictures showed a gang lined up behind a barricade in a stand-off with scores of police in front of vans. Violence also erupted in nearby Wolverhampton, where youths broke into shops.
The first fatality of the riots came on Tuesday when a 26-year-old man who was shot a day earlier in a car in Croydon during the disturbances died. Police from Operation Trident, which specialises in gun crime within the black community, launched a murder investigation.
As violence spread from London to elsewhere in the country, British police made 138 arrests in Birmingham, taking the total number of detainees over 500.
With London smouldering after the third night of mayhem, Britain’s police watchdog said it had found no evidence that Mark Duggan, whose death at the hands of the police last week was the catalyst for unprecedented riots in London, had fired a gun at officers.
“At this stage there is no evidence that the handgun found at the scene was fired during the incident,” said the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in an update on last Thursday’s fatal shooting in Tottenham, north London.
Duggan, 29, was travelling in a taxi when the vehicle was stopped by police carrying out an arrest as part of a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) operation against gun crime within the black community.
British Prime Minister David Cameron recalled parliament and ordered thousands of extra police onto the streets after rioting left parts of London and other cities in flames.
London police said they would consider using baton rounds amidst calls for a stronger response to the ongoing riots. “That’s a tactic that will be used by the Metropolitan police if deemed necessary,” British Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh told reporters.
Meanwhile, the UK government is also considering suspending BlackBerry services.
(Read: Protests in London)
Iran asks Britain not to use ‘violence’ against riots
Iran urged Britain on Tuesday to show “restraint” in dealing with rioters.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast asked “the British government to prevent the use of violence by the police, and to engage in dialogue with the protesters and examine their demands in order to restore calm,” the state television website said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2011.
COMMENTS (21)
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A small request to Altaf Bhai... Looking at the situation in London, please fill one month rasion :)
Where is a Rehman Baba type figure when you need him? We should export him to London, he will enjoy living there with Altaf Bhai and Mushy Daddy! LOL
IOC (International Olympic Committe) should immediately cancel the Olympic games to be held in London next year. Indian Cricket team should call off their UK tour. Because the law & order situation is getting worse there. The Pomies should also realise that if they taunt others, what will happens, when things will come on them (Tit for Tat).
Trophy goes to Iran lol!
Pakistan shall warn its citizens to visit London.
Iran is amazing :p
A very similar case of Sarfaraz Shah who was killed at the hands of Rangers in Clifton, Karachi has happened in London. Sarfarz Shah was also not possessing a gun while he was killed by the Rangers.
Rangers first declared that Sarfarz Shah was a terrorist and was killed in an encounter with the Rangers. Had the shooting scene captured by the TV camera not released, by now all Rangers personnel would have hand shoulder promotions.
Similarly, Mark Duggan was having a toy gun in his hand and how can he fired a shot at Police in London with a toy gun?
I salute to people of Karachi who have much patients comparing to the people of London and have not come out of streets in Karachi when Sarfaraz Shah was killed.
One death at the hands of London Police has made all the difference. It is the unity among the people that every one is protesting on the streets and the angry mob has burnt several cars, shops and buildings.
If law enforcing personnel will remain in their pajamas, such incidents will not occur, but the dilemma is when they are given a gun to protect the lives and property of the citizens they misuse the power and use the guns against the innocent citizens and then blame the citizens.
I hope that Rangers who killed Sarfaraz Shah in Karachi and the Police who killed Mark Duggan in London will be given exemplary punishment in Karachi and London simultaneously, so that such incidents should not occur in future.
One fatality -- probably would not make the evening news in Pakistan --- says something about how Pakistan has grown acclimated to target killings, missing people, and lousy govt.
In next headline we will see Rehman Malik will visit London and will announce that Al-Qaeeda/ Tehrik Talipan are involved and we will bring justice in the city. He will also announce a commission to inquire who did this.
This had to happen, UK's economy is declining, people are jobless and it was about time.
All the rich countries are happy and peaceful just because of the abundant money, the day they'll go in economic crises, they'll do worst than many 3rd world nations. An electricity loadshedding in Canada saw the most number of theft, rapes and what not, just recall how many load sheddings we see in Pakistan. With Greek bankruptcy narrowly avoided, italy seeing it's own debt problems and US's credit rating lowered (thanks to their internal politics,) world is about to see more bad times, next year will be a hell when Americans will see an increased interest rate due to bad credit ratings and in this global economy we all will pay the price :(
I could see the smoke from my house (Horrible view) and today to end these riots on the streets of London approximately 17000 London metropolitan police has stepped out.
Britain is on way to becoming a police state. British government is fascist.
LOL @ Iran.......
Mushy must be wondering if karachi is safer than london.
Unemployed due to labor arbitrage nonsense policy are out on streets. Expect more incidents like this in cities with high number of unemployed.
we are victims of mayhems as routine. we are troubled and fed up. we do not want it happen any where in the world. we want peace within and without. we request british authorities to find out the real cause and act accordingly. they should not jump to the conclusions which they often do in the case of pakistan.they must realise that there is a lot to be done in their own country and should let Pakistan, afghanistan, iran or libiya sort out the chaos on their own created by usa, britishers and their other allies
ow which place is safe in this world? Pakistan is always said to be the world's dangerous place to live but now we see how peace can be dismantled in place like London. Violent behavior knows no boundaries and it can not be attached to a particular class or nation. Every violent behavior has its root somewhere the focus should be to find out those roots and then it becomes easier to settle down the situation. riots can erupt anywhere in the world , because conflict is a permanent feature of every society and sometimes those who involve in conflict resort to violence that destroy the peace of the society.
The unprecedented outbreak of rioting in London and then to other cities of Britain is upsetting for London-lovers because it seems to have gotten out of control. The unabated rioting is casting serious doubts on the ability of the Police to provide security for the upcoming London Olympics, 2012. TV footage of law enforcers standing and watching helplessly as teenagers smashed and looted shops have puzzled the public. The frustrated youngsters are rioting with full force in clear view of media bringing the image of Scotland Yard to disrepute. What should the Police do; hang them, flog them or ignore them. The answer lies somewhere in between. But before they do anything to control the situation, they must seriously take stock of the reasons behind the rioting.
Love the last part. 'Iran asks Britain not to use violence against riots. Copying the British position against Libya, Syria, etc. In other words,'In your face!'