Question for a Londoner: is there more to these riots? [details inside]?

I’m in the US but it seems like the entire world in on edge and just waiting for an excuse to go off. Plus I thought UK police weren’t armed. Is this something new?

@Adirondackwannabe UK cops are not usually armed, but some are. They are actually called “armed police”.

Not a Londoner, but am English so kind of qualifies me. The shooting of Duggan resulted in peaceful protests, it seems there was a shootout involving him & the police. Armed officers are called on when the need arises. Anyway, the riots in Tottenham & subsequent looting & wanton acts of vandelism in Brixton & Enfield had nothing whatsoever to do with the original grievance.
Mindless thugs displaying copycat behaviour, laughing & joking as they went about their sordid little acts. Basically used the entire affair as an excuse to thieve & destroy public property.

THIS is exactly why we have police in just about each country and nation. Down deep, some people are just waiting for an excuse to let the “animal” in them be released. It does not matter if there is a cause or not. It’s like being on a Rocky Mountain high, without drugs.

This is why we have the police.

@ucme What a damn shame. I’d like to think that the London youth is smarter than that. They are only serving to discredit their ideology. I feel ashamed for them. Was this planned online, or was it impromptu rioting?

@john65pennington I agree with you – people spiral out of control when they are upset, especially in a group.

The issue I’m having is that in the story there is no mention of the police apologizing or explaining to the community what happened with Duggan. Also, this wasn’t just one neighborhood, one time – isn’t there more the police can do other than fight them in the streets like a rival gang? This is madness!

@rOs Oh these fucking yobs are in the minority, they just rattle their sabres & make so much noise occasionally, that’s all. I heard that twitter reared it’s ugly head in the sense that scum recruited scum for a bit of “shopping.” Mindless morons doing their thang, not rocket science.

Also, I think it’s great that you Fluther, Officer Pennington. I feel like the youth in London might behave better if they just talked with, and/or knew a police officer – and vice-versa. There is too much of a disconnect between the bureaucratic establishment and the disenchanted youth.

This is an example of that disconnect I was talking about… The BBC then proceeded to respond with the usual spin.

LOL, I meant this, not the laughing guy!

I just read this disturbing article that helped answered my original question for this post. There is clearly a ‘power pyramid’ in this world, and the places where it’s most obvious are where the riots are breaking out. Unless our American government can make necessary changes (like, I don’t know, taking care of all of it’s people), it’s only a matter of time before this issue is right on our front door.

Malcolm X said it best:
If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the oppressed and loving the people doing the oppressing.