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Tottenham in flames as riot
follows protest
Two police patrol cars, a passenger bus and several shops
were attacked and set alight in north London as violence erupted
Riots erupt in Tottenham with police cars, a bus and shops set on fire. Photograph: Sky News
Two police cars, a bus and *several shops were attacked and set ablaze in
north London on Saturday night as violence erupted following a protest
demanding "justice" over a fatal police shooting.
Officers on horseback and others in riot gear clashed with hundreds of
rioters armed with makeshift missiles in the centre of Tottenham after Mark
Duggan, 29, a father of four, was killed on Thursday.
At one point, rioters broke through police ranks and attempted to storm
Tottenham's police station, pelting officers with bricks, bottles and eggs.
As a police helicopter flew over Tottenham High Road, youths in masks and
hoods added combustible material to two burned out police cars, included a
bundle of documents and an awning ripped down from one of the shops.
Some attempted to persuade the rioters to disperse, one young man
shouting: "Go home now people."
But others filled bottles with petrol to throw at the police lines. Many lined
up with makeshift weapons including metal bars and baseball bats to
confront the line of police, but others seemed more interested in looting.
At one stage a safe was dragged out of a book*makers, while others were
seen with a television set and an electric guitar. Several arrived with
shopping trollies to take away what they had stolen.
"It wasn't like this before," said one woman standing close to one of the
two burned-out police cars. "It started out as a peaceful demonstration.
The police shot a guy here last week and they lied about what happened.
They said he pulled a gun but he wouldn't have done that with armed
police. They shot him so badly that his mother could not recognise him."
A Metropolitan police spokesman said the trouble began when missiles were
thrown at parked patrol cars at 8.30pm. He said one was pushed, blazing,
into the middle of Tottenham High Road. Neither of the two officers who
had been driving the cars was injured.
As violence spread, a double-decker bus was set upon. Witnesses said the
vehicle exploded in flames after attackers threw homemade bombs through
its windows. Nearby shops were also set ablaze.
Most of the crowd consisted of onlookers, who jeered at police vans as
they arrived. There were chants of "we want answers" and "whose
streets? Our streets".
Officers from the Territorial Support Group charged at rioters and
attempted to block off side streets. Riot police, some with dogs,
shepherded people away.
Police on horseback also attended the scene, along with reinforcements
from the City of London police. A police helicopter hovered above.
Hails of bottles and bricks were intermittently thrown at police from side
streets as reinforcements arrived. Rioters also aimed fireworks at police. At
one stage, four firework rockets were shot at a line of horses, prompting a
charge and a nearby crowd to disperse in panic.
Hundreds of residents gathered to watch the unrest and there several
were reports of attacks on bystanders. At one point rioters were seen
beating up a man attempting to take film footage of the scene.
Local resident David Akinsanya, 46, said several shop windows had been
smashed. "It's really bad," he said. "There are two police cars on fire. I'm
feeling unsafe. It looks like it's going to get very tasty. I saw a guy getting
attacked." Maria Robinson, another resident, told the BBC: "The police
seem very frightened at the moment, people are unstoppable. They've
broken into various businesses, jewellery shops, bookies, it's absolutely
crazy. They've beaten up a man for talking to the fire brigade."
Attempts by police to gain some control succeeded by 11.30pm, as they
cleared an area of the street with the worst fires, allowing two fire engines
onto the street.
Twitter was abuzz on Saturday night with messages of support and
condemnation.
A police source said acting Met police commissioner, Tim Godwin, was
being kept informed of events.
Met police commander Stephen Watson said the situation was "complex
and dynamic". He told Sky News the setting up of the Gold command
structure earlier in the evening – a response to major public order events -
was a routine contingency plan.
Although the police were aware of increased tensions in the area since the
death of Duggan, Watson said they had no warning that a riot would break
out.
Police were unable to confirm whether the violence was connected to
outrage over the death of Duggan, 29, who was shot in a police
anti-firearms operation in Tottenham.
The violence broke out at dusk after about 120 people marched on
Tottenham police station to express anger over the death of Duggan. The
protesters had begun their march in the Broadwater Farm area, the scene
of riots in 1985 in which a police constable, Keith Blakelock, was killed by
attackers wielding knives and machetes.
A family friend of Duggan, who gave her name as Nikki, said that the dead
man's friends and relatives had organised the protest to demand "justice
for the family".
"They're making their presence known because people are not happy," she
said. "This guy was not violent. Yes, he was involved in things, but he was
not an aggressive person."
It was revealed on Saturday that *Duggan had been shot in an exchange
of fire after the police's Trident unit, which deals with gun crime, stopped
the vehicle he was travelling in. A police officer was said to have escaped
injury in the shootout when a bullet lodged in his radio.
Mayor Boris Johnson said where there were real concerns in the community
it was right there was a proper investigation and that the IPCC was looking
into Duggan's death. "The violence to property will do nothing to facilitate
that investigation," the mayor said.
David Lammy, the local MP, called for calm on Saturday night, saying the
community was anxious. The Independent Police Complaints Commission
rushed out a statement in an attempt to appease the anger saying it is in
close contact with the Duggan family and will have further meetings with
them on Sunday.
Tottenham in flames as riot follows protest | UK news | The Observer
follows protest
Two police patrol cars, a passenger bus and several shops
were attacked and set alight in north London as violence erupted
Riots erupt in Tottenham with police cars, a bus and shops set on fire. Photograph: Sky News
Two police cars, a bus and *several shops were attacked and set ablaze in
north London on Saturday night as violence erupted following a protest
demanding "justice" over a fatal police shooting.
Officers on horseback and others in riot gear clashed with hundreds of
rioters armed with makeshift missiles in the centre of Tottenham after Mark
Duggan, 29, a father of four, was killed on Thursday.
At one point, rioters broke through police ranks and attempted to storm
Tottenham's police station, pelting officers with bricks, bottles and eggs.
As a police helicopter flew over Tottenham High Road, youths in masks and
hoods added combustible material to two burned out police cars, included a
bundle of documents and an awning ripped down from one of the shops.
Some attempted to persuade the rioters to disperse, one young man
shouting: "Go home now people."
But others filled bottles with petrol to throw at the police lines. Many lined
up with makeshift weapons including metal bars and baseball bats to
confront the line of police, but others seemed more interested in looting.
At one stage a safe was dragged out of a book*makers, while others were
seen with a television set and an electric guitar. Several arrived with
shopping trollies to take away what they had stolen.
"It wasn't like this before," said one woman standing close to one of the
two burned-out police cars. "It started out as a peaceful demonstration.
The police shot a guy here last week and they lied about what happened.
They said he pulled a gun but he wouldn't have done that with armed
police. They shot him so badly that his mother could not recognise him."
A Metropolitan police spokesman said the trouble began when missiles were
thrown at parked patrol cars at 8.30pm. He said one was pushed, blazing,
into the middle of Tottenham High Road. Neither of the two officers who
had been driving the cars was injured.
As violence spread, a double-decker bus was set upon. Witnesses said the
vehicle exploded in flames after attackers threw homemade bombs through
its windows. Nearby shops were also set ablaze.
Most of the crowd consisted of onlookers, who jeered at police vans as
they arrived. There were chants of "we want answers" and "whose
streets? Our streets".
Officers from the Territorial Support Group charged at rioters and
attempted to block off side streets. Riot police, some with dogs,
shepherded people away.
Police on horseback also attended the scene, along with reinforcements
from the City of London police. A police helicopter hovered above.
Hails of bottles and bricks were intermittently thrown at police from side
streets as reinforcements arrived. Rioters also aimed fireworks at police. At
one stage, four firework rockets were shot at a line of horses, prompting a
charge and a nearby crowd to disperse in panic.
Hundreds of residents gathered to watch the unrest and there several
were reports of attacks on bystanders. At one point rioters were seen
beating up a man attempting to take film footage of the scene.
Local resident David Akinsanya, 46, said several shop windows had been
smashed. "It's really bad," he said. "There are two police cars on fire. I'm
feeling unsafe. It looks like it's going to get very tasty. I saw a guy getting
attacked." Maria Robinson, another resident, told the BBC: "The police
seem very frightened at the moment, people are unstoppable. They've
broken into various businesses, jewellery shops, bookies, it's absolutely
crazy. They've beaten up a man for talking to the fire brigade."
Attempts by police to gain some control succeeded by 11.30pm, as they
cleared an area of the street with the worst fires, allowing two fire engines
onto the street.
Twitter was abuzz on Saturday night with messages of support and
condemnation.
A police source said acting Met police commissioner, Tim Godwin, was
being kept informed of events.
Met police commander Stephen Watson said the situation was "complex
and dynamic". He told Sky News the setting up of the Gold command
structure earlier in the evening – a response to major public order events -
was a routine contingency plan.
Although the police were aware of increased tensions in the area since the
death of Duggan, Watson said they had no warning that a riot would break
out.
Police were unable to confirm whether the violence was connected to
outrage over the death of Duggan, 29, who was shot in a police
anti-firearms operation in Tottenham.
The violence broke out at dusk after about 120 people marched on
Tottenham police station to express anger over the death of Duggan. The
protesters had begun their march in the Broadwater Farm area, the scene
of riots in 1985 in which a police constable, Keith Blakelock, was killed by
attackers wielding knives and machetes.
A family friend of Duggan, who gave her name as Nikki, said that the dead
man's friends and relatives had organised the protest to demand "justice
for the family".
"They're making their presence known because people are not happy," she
said. "This guy was not violent. Yes, he was involved in things, but he was
not an aggressive person."
It was revealed on Saturday that *Duggan had been shot in an exchange
of fire after the police's Trident unit, which deals with gun crime, stopped
the vehicle he was travelling in. A police officer was said to have escaped
injury in the shootout when a bullet lodged in his radio.
Mayor Boris Johnson said where there were real concerns in the community
it was right there was a proper investigation and that the IPCC was looking
into Duggan's death. "The violence to property will do nothing to facilitate
that investigation," the mayor said.
David Lammy, the local MP, called for calm on Saturday night, saying the
community was anxious. The Independent Police Complaints Commission
rushed out a statement in an attempt to appease the anger saying it is in
close contact with the Duggan family and will have further meetings with
them on Sunday.
Tottenham in flames as riot follows protest | UK news | The Observer
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