Riot-scarred Tottenham began picking up the pieces today from a night of violence that local trade unionists warned could erupt anywhere in Britain due to unemployment and social alienation.
Fires still smouldered following running battles through streets in the north London borough of Haringey.
Reports of injuries including stabbings among members of the public could not be confirmed today however two police officers were hospitalised and 24 others injured in the fighting.
At least 42 people were arrested.
Haringey Trades Council secretary Keith Flett was one of many local community leaders working to calm the area down after peaceful protests over a fatal police shooting spiralled into violence on Saturday night.
But he warned that communities across Britain were facing the same problems with the whole country "going back again" to the '70s and '80s.
"It happened here but it could happen anywhere.
"I don't think it's anything unique about Tottenham," he said.
The rioting broke out following a march by around 300 residents to Tottenham police station over the shooting dead of local father of four Mark Duggan by an officer on Thursday night.
Mr Duggan had been a passenger in a minicab pulled over by police around 6.15pm on Ferry Lane Bridge in Tottenham Hale in what was called a "pre-planned" event under Operation Trident, which investigates gun crime in the African and Caribbean communities.
It is understood that Mr Duggan was shot twice in the face with a submachine gun, while an officer shot once in the chest was saved by the bullet jamming in his radio. It is unclear who shot the officer.
The incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission but locals angry at the authorities' muted response gathered at Mr Duggan's home on the Broadwater Farm housing estate and marched to Tottenham police station.
No comments:
Post a Comment