Saturday 6 August 2011 - Present;
Civil unrest breaks out in the streets of Tottenham, North London in the late hours of Saturday 6th August following the police's limp response to answering questions from the family of Mark Duggan, 29, whom was shot dead in broad daylight a couple days earlier, on Thursday 4th August. The Met's lack of co-operation to give information caused much disgust and anger within the community, and it was consequently the spark and perhaps "excuse" needed for frustration and tension to be relieved; whether it be due to financial and social stresses, unemployment concerns - or simply just not being heard.
Hundreds of people exercised their feelings in the wrong way and in a bare criminal fashion. Multiple buildings and vehicles were set alight; whilst many shops were broken into and looted. The nation watched the violence unfold live on television; unfortunately, the events in Tottenham were somewhat mirrored in neighbouring areas of Hackney, Walthamstow and Enfield, and then erupting across London with outbreaks of anarchy in Brixton, Clapham Junction and Ealing. These events in London provoked further unrest throughout city centres in England, with Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham and Bristol enduring acts of mass lawlessness.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has condemned the attacks, stating that "You will feel the full force of the law. And if you are old enough to commit these crimes, you are old enough to face the punishment."; whilst Mayor of London Boris Johnson felt "...the real spirit of London," whilst attempting to bring the people of Battersea together in cleaning up the resulting debris from the previous night's action. Around 16,000 police officers are expected to actively patrol the streets of the British capital in anticipation of a fourth night of chaos. To date, over 650 arrests have been made, and over 100 charged regarding these events.
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