"Prime Minister David Cameron said officers had been overwhelmed at first, outmaneuvered by mobile gangs of rioters. He said "far too few police were deployed onto the streets. And the tactics they were using weren't working."
That changed Tuesday, when 16,000 officers were out in London, almost three times the number of the night before. Cameron said the extra officers will remain on patrol through the weekend.
Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, acknowledged police had faced "an unprecedented situation, unique circumstances" — but said it was police themselves, rather than "political interference," that got the situation under control.
"The more robust policing tactics you saw were not a function of political interference," he told the BBC. "They were a function of the numbers being available to allow the chief constables to change their tactics."
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Malaysian student mugged during riots
CBS News:
Usually during in times of chaos and tragedy are stories of people doing heroic and noble deeds. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them.
As London continues to be engulfed in continued widespread rioting and looting, some people are apparently now robbing those who are injured and helpless.
In a YouTube video filmed by Abdul Hamid, a young male, who appears injured and lying on a bloodied ground, is surrounded by a group of other young people. A male dressed in a gray jacket helps the victim stand up and gently walks him to the side.
Without the victim noticing it, another male wearing a baseball cap a black jacket swoops in and unzips the knapsack. Then he and the "good Samaritan" pilfers through the boy's belongings.
As the victim turns around and sees what's going on, the male wearing the black jacket and cap takes something from the knapsack and discards what looks like a container as he walks away. The rest of the group also disperses, leaving the victim by himself with his knapsack partially opened.
"This is evil," writes Hamid in his comment on YouTube. "A poor lad, obviously in distress, sits bleeding on the ground. He is "helped" up and then robbed. I hope these scumbags are caught."
David Cameron statements about police, calling up army, pledges to crack down
David Cameron: Police admit they got riots wrong
BBC News
August 14 (?)
The police admitted they got their riot tactics wrong, the prime minister has said, as he announced measures to help homeowners and businesses.
Related headlines on Cameron statements:
UK may use army in future riots -Cameron - Reuters
UK's Cameron Pledges To Crack Down On Looters, Help Businesses
BBC News
August 14 (?)
The police admitted they got their riot tactics wrong, the prime minister has said, as he announced measures to help homeowners and businesses.
Related headlines on Cameron statements:
UK may use army in future riots -Cameron - Reuters
UK's Cameron Pledges To Crack Down On Looters, Help Businesses
Friday, August 12, 2011
More of Mrs May's pearls of wisdom
From the BBC:
Home Secretary Theresa May has told MPs that recent rioting in England is symptomatic of a "a wider malaise" including worklessness, illiteracy, and drug abuse.
After a rare recall of Parliament was agreed by Commons Speaker John Bercow at the request of Prime Minister David Cameron, Mrs May opened a Commons debate on 11 August 2011 on the riots.
Mrs May emphasised the importance of personal responsibility.
"The only cause of a crime is a criminal," she said. "Everybody, no matter what their background or circumstances, has the freedom to choose between right and wrong.
"Those who make the wrong decision, who engage in criminality, must be identified, arrested and punished - and we will make sure that happens."
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "It was a disgrace to see literally thousands of British citizens, many of them not yet even old enough to vote, ripping through our urban fabric.
"But standing against them now are not just thousands of British police officers but millions of British people who love their cities and their towns and who support their communities and the rule of law."
David Lammy, the Labour MP whose Tottenham constituency was the first to be hit by riots, demanded a public inquiry into the Metropolitan Police's handling of the violence.
London Transport Workers Help During Riots
BBC News, August 12L
Transport workers have been praised by Prime Minister David Cameron for their bravery in "keeping London moving". In a letter to Transport for London Mr Cameron paid tribute to people who "protected passengers" during riots. He made a special mention [...]
Fri Aug 12 2011
Indian Express
London
UK Riots: Asian Immigrants hailed as 'Best of Britain'
People with roots in the Indian sub-continent were some of the worst affected when riots rocked London and other cities in England, but their resilience and determination to thwart trouble-makers was soon hailed as examples of the "best of Britain."
As normalcy returns, the impact of the days and nights of mayhem is becoming clear, with official estimates of loss running into hundreds of millions of pounds.
Significantly, so far none of the rioters arrested is from Britain's Asian community.
Those hit the hardest include scores of Gujarati businessmen, a Pakistan-origin family and a Sri Lankan shopkeeper, who has been reduced to penury but insists he will soon be up on his feet with help from neighbours and others from the wider community.
There have been many inspiring examples of ordinary people – from all communities – in London and elsewhere, contributing to cleaning up, countering rioters, helping to deal with the situation and insisting on peace.
Tariq Jahan, the Pakistan-origin father of 21-year-old Haroon, who was among three Asian youngsters mowed down by a speeding car in Birmingham, has been widely hailed as a hero and as the "true face of Britain" for his efforts to calm passions after the incident.
Wrote Daniel Johnson in the Daily Telegraph: "The Jahan family has set an example, not only for their fellow Muslims, but for Britons of all religions and none."
The Gujarati community in London estimates that at least 10 per cent of the business establishments attacked belonged to members of the community. The establishments affected include corner shops, jewellers and an electronics showroom.
Sri Lankan-origin shopkeeper Shiva Kandiah's shop was ransacked in Hackney, losing over 10,000 pounds worth of goods.
He did not have contents' insurance, but is touched by the assistance extended by people in the borough who have volunteered to help him get back on his feet again.
The example set by hundreds of people in Southall who rallied together to protect the Guru Singh Sabha gurdwara was hailed by Prime Minister David Cameron in the House of Commons yesterday.
Also lauded was the contribution of Birmingham-based Sangat TV, whose presenter Upinder Randhawa has become the most recognised face in the west Midlands and beyond.
People have been gathering outside the channel's office to thank him and the channel for helping deal with the riots and spread the message of peace amidst passions over the recent events.
Another immigrant who aroused the sympathy of millions is Ashraf Rossli, the Malaysian student whose YouTube footage became a symbol of the riots.
Robbed of his bike by hooded youths with knives, Rossli was kicked in the face and left bleeding with a broken jaw that required surgery.
The incident recorded by his friend shows him being helped to his feet by rioters, who then proceed to steal from his backpack.
He insisted he still loved Britain and would not return home before completing his accountancy course, even though his mother asked him to return.
Indian Express
London
UK Riots: Asian Immigrants hailed as 'Best of Britain'
People with roots in the Indian sub-continent were some of the worst affected when riots rocked London and other cities in England, but their resilience and determination to thwart trouble-makers was soon hailed as examples of the "best of Britain."
As normalcy returns, the impact of the days and nights of mayhem is becoming clear, with official estimates of loss running into hundreds of millions of pounds.
Significantly, so far none of the rioters arrested is from Britain's Asian community.
Those hit the hardest include scores of Gujarati businessmen, a Pakistan-origin family and a Sri Lankan shopkeeper, who has been reduced to penury but insists he will soon be up on his feet with help from neighbours and others from the wider community.
There have been many inspiring examples of ordinary people – from all communities – in London and elsewhere, contributing to cleaning up, countering rioters, helping to deal with the situation and insisting on peace.
Tariq Jahan, the Pakistan-origin father of 21-year-old Haroon, who was among three Asian youngsters mowed down by a speeding car in Birmingham, has been widely hailed as a hero and as the "true face of Britain" for his efforts to calm passions after the incident.
Wrote Daniel Johnson in the Daily Telegraph: "The Jahan family has set an example, not only for their fellow Muslims, but for Britons of all religions and none."
The Gujarati community in London estimates that at least 10 per cent of the business establishments attacked belonged to members of the community. The establishments affected include corner shops, jewellers and an electronics showroom.
Sri Lankan-origin shopkeeper Shiva Kandiah's shop was ransacked in Hackney, losing over 10,000 pounds worth of goods.
He did not have contents' insurance, but is touched by the assistance extended by people in the borough who have volunteered to help him get back on his feet again.
The example set by hundreds of people in Southall who rallied together to protect the Guru Singh Sabha gurdwara was hailed by Prime Minister David Cameron in the House of Commons yesterday.
Also lauded was the contribution of Birmingham-based Sangat TV, whose presenter Upinder Randhawa has become the most recognised face in the west Midlands and beyond.
People have been gathering outside the channel's office to thank him and the channel for helping deal with the riots and spread the message of peace amidst passions over the recent events.
Another immigrant who aroused the sympathy of millions is Ashraf Rossli, the Malaysian student whose YouTube footage became a symbol of the riots.
Robbed of his bike by hooded youths with knives, Rossli was kicked in the face and left bleeding with a broken jaw that required surgery.
The incident recorded by his friend shows him being helped to his feet by rioters, who then proceed to steal from his backpack.
He insisted he still loved Britain and would not return home before completing his accountancy course, even though his mother asked him to return.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
"U.K. may disrupt social networks during unrest"
Reuters, London:
U.K. may disrupt social networks during unrest
Mohammed Abbas
Published Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 9:00AM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 12:23PM EDT
Britain is considering disrupting online social networking such as Blackberry Messenger and Twitter during civil unrest, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday, a move widely condemned as repressive when used by other countries.
Egyptian authorities shut down mobile and Internet services in January during mass protests against then-President Hosni Mubarak, while China is quick to shut down online communication it sees as subversive.
Police and politicians have said online social networks, in particular Research in Motion’s popular Blackberry Messenger (BBM), were used by rioters and looters to co-ordinate during four days of disorder across England this week.
“We are working with police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality,” Cameron told parliament during an emergency session prompted by the riots.
Many of the rioters favoured Canadian firm RIM’s BBM over Twitter and other social media because its messages are encrypted and private.
The company said on Monday that it co-operates with all telecommunications, law enforcement and regulatory authorities, but it declined to say whether it would hand over chat logs or user details to police.
RIM’s encrypted services have been blamed for aiding militant attacks in India and for allowing unrelated men and women to communicate in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
In August last year, a source close to talks between RIM and Saudi authorities said the company had agreed to hand over information that would allow monitoring of BBM.
Online social media was also widely used by members of the British public in recent days to help others avoid troublespots and to coordinate a clean up after the rioting had ended.
BBM has more than 45 million active users worldwide, 70 per cent of whom use it daily, sending billions of messages, pictures and other files in total every month.
Authorities grappling with violent unrest should avoid heavy-handed clampdowns on social media and instead try to enlist the help of the public against the rioters, said John Bassett, a former senior official at British signals intelligence agency GCHQ and now a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.
“The use of social media in the unrest looks like a game-changer. But any attempt to exert state control over social media looks likely to fail,” he told Reuters.
“A much better approach would be to encourage and support individuals and community groups in identifying alarming developments on social media and even speaking out on the internet against extremists and criminals, and ensuring that the police have the skills and technical support to get pre-emptive and operational intelligence from social media when necessary.”
"Britain’s musings of social-media ban fraught with technical difficulty"
From Globe and Mail:
OMAR EL AKKAD
TECHNOLOGY REPORTER
Published Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 10:57PM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011 11:19PM EDT
David Cameron appears to have had a change of heart on the subject of Internet freedom.
“Our interests lie in upholding our values – in insisting on the right to peaceful protest, in freedom of speech and the Internet, in freedom of assembly and the rule of law,” the British Prime Minister said in a speech before the Kuwait National Assembly in February, referring to the revolutions of the Arab Spring. “But these are not just our values, but the entitlement of people everywhere; of people in Tahrir Square as much as Trafalgar Square.”
Mr. Cameron told Parliament the government is investigating whether it would be “right and possible” to ban people from using social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and the popular messaging service BlackBerry Messenger on Research In Motion’s smartphones, because rioters have been using them to communicate.
“Free flow of information can be used for good. But it can also be used for ill,” he said. “And when people are using social media for violence we need to stop them.”
Any attempt to place a ban on the use of social media would be fraught with difficulty. Not only would such a move be challenged as an infringement of the right to freedom of speech that Mr. Cameron so recently lauded, it would entail costly and complex work by telecom carriers and Internet Service Providers. What’s more, there's no guarantee it would work, given the myriad ways activists have found to get around such roadblocks. But at a time of crisis that threatens to undermine the Prime Minister's leadership, it appears no strategy is off the table.
Mr. Cameron’s statement drew swift criticism from civil libertarians, who compared it to attempts by authoritarian regimes to stifle dissent. The London-based Open Rights Group said it had “broad concerns” with attempts to create new laws to regulate social media.
“New measures to remove Web freedoms of any sort will quickly be seized upon by oppressive governments to justify their own actions,” said Jim Killock, the group’s executive director. “The U.K. should not be using the same methods as governments in China, Bahrain or Saudi Arabia.”
Perhaps the most extreme example of a ban on Internet communication came in Egypt during the uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak. At the direction of the state, Egypt’s ISPs shut off all access to the Web, wiping the country off the digital map. In Iran, authorities were especially concerned by the use of Twitter during the 2009 election protests, when the micro-blogging site became such a pivotal tool for protesters that the U.S. State Department asked Twitter to hold off on maintenance downtime so information in and out of Iran would keep flowing.
Whether Mr. Cameron’s idea will become government policy remains to be seen. But in the view of one expert, there is no guarantee that a ban on social media would do anything to stem the violence.
“There’s no necessary connection between the use of social media and the extent of the rioting,” said Vince Mosco, a sociology professor at Queen’s University in Kingston and an authority on political communication. “And there’s no guarantee that those carrying out these riots won’t use other means to circumvent a government crackdown on the networks.”
The British government would also have to consider the unintended consequences of a ban. The BlackBerry, for example, is the tool of choice for much of London’s financial community, whose members rely on BlackBerry Messenger.
BlackBerry Messenger has proven a hit with British rioters as well, its popularity attributed to the fact that it is encrypted. In reality, snooping on messages sent from consumer BlackBerrys is relatively easy for security agencies. BBM’s popularity, especially among younger users, has more to do with the fact that it is essentially a free form of text-messaging.
RIM is no stranger to government interference. Last year, a number of countries in the Middle East and Asia threatened to ban certain BlackBerry services unless the Canadian firm gave their security agencies greater access to encrypted communications. RIM insists that it does not provide different levels of access to different countries, and provides assistance only within the limits of local lawful access laws. Twitter has regularly refused to take down content posted using the service. Facebook removes content that is deemed violent or that could qualify as hate speech.
Ultimately, Prof. Mosco said, the British government is unlikely to go ahead with a social media ban unless the situation in London becomes significantly worse. But even by floating the idea, Mr. Cameron may have already set an unwelcome precedent.
“For the government to talk about this sends a message to people who rely on these networks that their reliance is threatened,” Prof. Mosco said. “Something bad has already happened.”
David Cameron denounces rioters as immoral
August 11, 2011:
Cameron denounces UK rioters as 'immoral.' But he's under fire, too
Christian Science Monitor
A week after a murder sparked riots and looting in London and beyond, Prime Minister David Cameron addressed Parliament for nearly three hours today. Here's how Britain responded.
He spoke and fielded questions for close to three hours. Guardian columnist Julian Glover called it "a parliamentary form of kettling: keep the trouble makers in one place and keep them talking." ("Kettling" is a tactic used by the British police to diffuse angry crowds. Officers surround the crowd, allowing people out gradually.)
According to Telegraph political correspondent James Kirkup, Cameron "cast this week's events as a 'deep moral failure': the people responsible have done bad things and should be punished, he said. Not only have the rioters been immoral, he said, in many cases so have their parents… The potential consequences of neglect and immorality on this scale have been clear for too long, without enough action being taken." He promised "a more moral Britain, a country where people behave better."
Here's Cameron in his own words:We need to show the world, which has looked on, frankly, appalled, that the perpetrators of the violence we have seen on our streets are not in any way representative of our country – nor of our young people.Lawmaker responses hinted at a stark divide between two prevailing opinions on the cause of the riots, Mr. Glover writes. According to Cameron and many others, a lack of responsibility is to blame. "Young people smashing windows and stealing televisions is not about inequality," Cameron said. "When you have a deep moral failure you don't hit it with a wall of money."
We need to show them that we will address our broken society, we will restore a... stronger sense of morality and responsibility – in every town, in every street and in every estate.
On the other side was Labour leader Ed Miliband and many other Labour politicians, who argue that there is a link between "inequality and social order" and that the riots are a result of a deep disparity between Britain's upper and lower classes.
The past week could have been "disastrous" for Cameron, but he managed parliament well today, Glover writes. But those on both sides of the political spectrum need to tread carefully, he says.
Stray too far into condemning what he called "phoney human rights concerns" and Cameron will damage his claim to be a different kind of Tory. Harp on about the possible victimhood of criminals, and Miliband would lose voters to the right. That is why both converged today on the word responsibility. Now they need to define it.
However, there are others who thought that Cameron's speech was "below par," like John Harris, another Guardian columnist.
But think about it, and you may agree that [Cameron] has not played the most brilliant of games. He may have been to Croydon, but (as) today's invitation to visit Tottenham from David Lammy pointed up, he has yet to visit any of the areas of London that have been so ripped apart. As Jack Straw said, he still sounds like he's spouting precooked Treasury lines about police cuts, taking refuge in specious claims about "visible policing" (expect at least a modest U-turn on this). And as his statement proved, he sounds rather wooden and hemmed in: a man dutifully reading a script, as opposed to speaking to and for the country.
But today, presumably thanks to being plucked from his holiday and thrown into a whirl of Cobra meetings and visits to the Midlands, he was below par. "Absolutely no excuse… we will not put up with this in our country… more robust and effective policing… more discipline…" These are mostly things than any mainstream politician has to say right now, but they sounded Dalek-esque.
Mr. Harris thought that Mr. Miliband, while hitting the right notes, had to be careful about taking it too far. "He is in a delicate position, trying to point out that the riots say something about such themes as the 'take what you can' aspects of modern Britain and the dearth of 'hope and aspiration' in too many parts of the country, without succumbing to the leftie behavioural tic whereby everything is traceable to either Margaret Thatcher or the cuts (or both)," he wrote.
Cameron's talk of responsibility is a reiteration of an old theme from his days in the opposition party that has faded into the background since he took power, Mr. Kirkup writes. His revival of that theme is "ambitious" and sets him up for a momentous triumph – or flop.
British government considering banning social media sites in future riots
August 11, 2011:
U.K. May Block Twitter, Blackberry in Riots
by Amy Thomson and Robert Hutton
Bloomberg
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said the government is considering blocking social networks and messaging services amid the worst riots since the 1980s, prompting condemnation from lawyers and free speech advocates.
The government is working with police, the intelligence services and companies to look at “whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality,” Cameron said today in parliament. He mentioned Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM)’s BlackBerry Messenger service as one of the tools that were used by rioters.
Police have said they are investigating the use of social- networking services such as those operated by Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc. and BlackBerry Messenger. Three people were arrested by police in Southampton, England, on suspicion of using social media and messaging to encourage rioting.
“If you try to stop people communicating, you create more of a problem,” said Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, an organization promoting freedom of expression on the Internet. “People are angry because their freedoms are threatened.”
BlackBerry’s external U.K. spokespeople declined to comment on the possibility that authorities might shut or monitor user accounts. Twitter spokespeople could not immediately be reached.
“We look forward to meeting with the Home Secretary to explain the measures we have been taking to ensure that Facebook is a safe and positive platform for the people in the U.K. at this challenging time,” said Sophy Tobias, a spokeswoman for Facebook. “We have ensured any credible threats of violence are removed from Facebook.”
The social networking website has a policy of taking down content that threatens violence or might qualify as hate speech.
A law allowing the government to shut down a particular network could be easily abused, said David Hooper, a defamation and intellectual property lawyer with Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP in London. Groups could also find ways around the ban by employing other technologies, he said.
“History does show that if governments take wide powers when emotions are running very high, the powers tend to be abused,” he said.
While the U.K. government might legally be able to introduce measures to block particular messaging services or websites, the revolutions in the Middle East this year showed that the multiplicity of platforms available for communication makes governments’ actions to block it ineffective, said Rob Bratby, head of telecommunications at international law firm Olswang LLP.
7/7
The City of London Police asked wireless operators to restrict the network around the underground stations for several hours following the bombings on July 7, 2005. Telefonica SA (TEF)’s O2 has said that it shut down access to the public around noon on the day of the bombings, allowing only a pre-authorized list of emergency responders to communicate on its network.
Citizens’ “fundamental right” to free speech isn’t absolute and carries with it duties and responsibilities, said Jennifer McDermott, a lawyer with Withers LLP in London. However, even if the government curbs communications in the interests of public safety, it must show it was justified in doing so, she said.
Temptations
Tactics such as blocking social networks invite comparisons with toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, said Daniel Hamilton, director of Big Brother Watch, a civil liberties group that argues for privacy and the reduction of government monitoring. The U.K. government must “avoid the temptation to engage in populist authoritarianism,” in response to the riots.
All social media will be reviewed, Cameron’s spokesman Steve Field told reporters. The government is still investigating how useful and practical blocking the websites and services would be and hasn’t reached any conclusion, he said.
More than 1,300 people have been arrested in the U.K. since the disorder began on Aug. 6, with 888 of those in London.
“Free flow of information can be used for good, but it can also be used for ill,” Cameron said today. “When people are using social media for violence, we need to stop them.”
To contact the reporters on this story: Amy Thomson in London at athomson6@bloomberg.net; Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net
David Cameron rushed home as rioting spread
August 11, 2011:
Vacationing Cameron Rushed Home to Regain Control as Riots Struck London
By Eddie Buckle and Robert Hutton
Bloomberg
Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson, caught on foreign vacations as the worst rioting since the 1980s hit the British capital, were forced to rush home to reassert order and fend off criticism.
Outbreaks of looting and arson started on Aug. 6 in the north London suburb of Tottenham and spread across the city the following night. It wasn’t until a third evening of disorder began that Cameron broke off his holiday in Italy to return to his Downing Street office. Johnson was in Canada when the rioters struck.
“Being away, particularly being away in Tuscany, when things are kicking off at home doesn’t look great, and you have to come back,” Philip Cowley, professor of politics at Nottingham University, said in an interview. “The really important thing is what you do when you get back.”
Cameron convened a meeting of the government’s emergency response committee at his Downing Street office, recalled Parliament and more than doubled the number of police on London’s streets. The tactic worked as officers fanned out across the capital, preventing a fourth night of arson and looting.
Summer Recess
Home Secretary Theresa May returned to the U.K. a few hours before Cameron. Other Cabinet ministers, including Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, were also out of the country. Foreign Secretary William Hague was the senior minister in London last week, and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was scheduled to take over this week, as politicians took advantage of Parliament’s summer recess and the school holidays to spend time with their children.
Cameron and Osborne had already broken into their vacation time last week as the euro-area debt crisis worsened and Standard & Poor’s downgraded U.S. debt. Cameron spoke to Bank of England Governor Mervyn King and German Chancellor Angela Merkel from Italy on Aug. 5, while Osborne kept in contact with fellow finance ministers and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde from California.
When August comes around, British government departments slim down their operations. A duty minister in each remains in London to deal with any urgent developments.
‘Never on Holiday’
“You are never on holiday when you are doing these jobs,” the economic secretary to the Treasury, Justine Greening, told BBC television last week, as she held the reins at Osborne’s finance ministry. “The prime minister and the chancellor are fully in control and aware of exactly what is happening.”
She was speaking after the Daily Mirror newspaper accused Cameron and Osborne of having “Gone AWOL” as billions of pounds were wiped off the value of pension funds and workers lost their jobs.
John Prescott, the deputy prime minister in Tony Blair’s Labour government, was also critical of the lack of co- ordination in ministers’ vacation plans.
“People think August is a quiet time. It isn’t,” Prescott told BBC television on Aug. 7.
Johnson, a member of Cameron’s Conservative Party who is seeking re-election as mayor next year, described how he saw pictures of the rioting as he waited in the departure lounge of Calgary Airport for a plane home.
“I waited to catch a plane, and as the images of a blazing London filled the screen I felt a series of emotions,” the mayor said in a statement Aug. 8. “I felt a sickening sense of incredulity that this could really be happening in our city. I felt a blinding anger at the callousness and selfishness of the rioters.”
Heckled in Clapham
On his return, Johnson was heckled as he went to visit people attempting to clean up after looting in the southwest London district of Clapham Junction. He struggled to make himself heard above the noise as he tried to apologize for the damage.
As the catcalls increased, the home secretary, who’d gone to the area with him, could be seen moving out of the view of television cameras. The mayor later posed for photographs smiling as he wielded a broom.
“Boris has been damaged, not just by being on holiday but by his behavior when he got back,” Cowley said. The mayor will be facing his predecessor, Labour’s Ken Livingstone, in the election next May.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
ABC Aug 10 Update London Riots: Not true officers were initially told to hang back
By KEVIN DOLAK and JEFFREY KOFMAN
Aug. 10, 2011
In London, Scotland Yard has gone on the offensive in the streets, adding an additional 10,000 officers who have created an eerie calm as night fell on the capital that has apparently stifled the rioting.
Officers continued to arrest those involved in disorder both on the street and as a result of detective work, according to a statement from Scotland Yard, which rejected claims that officers were initially instructed not to make arrests.
"It is simply wrong to suggest officers were initially told not to actively arrest those involved in disorder," the statement read. "As always the decision to make an arrest is down to the individual officer on the ground who must weigh up whether it is appropriate bearing in mind risks of further inflaming the crowd, wider operational requirements and our ability to gather evidence to arrest later."
The rioting and looting gripping England has turned deadly as it enters a fifth day with three men killed by a hit-and-run driver in Birmingham.
Reports from neighbors indicate that the men were attempting to protect their area from rioters when they were struck by the car.
"Three men -- aged 31, 30 and 20 -- were on foot in Dudley Road in the Winson Green area of the city when they were in collision with a car. All later died from their injuries in hospital," read a statement of the West Midlands website. "Detectives … will today question a 32-year-old man on suspicion of murder."
In London, Scotland Yard has gone on the offensive in the streets, adding an additional 10,000 officers who have created an eerie calm as night fell on the capital that has apparently stifled the rioting.
Officers continued to arrest those involved in disorder both on the street and as a result of detective work, according to a statement from Scotland Yard, which rejected claims that officers were initially instructed not to make arrests.
"It is simply wrong to suggest officers were initially told not to actively arrest those involved in disorder," the statement read. "As always the decision to make an arrest is down to the individual officer on the ground who must weigh up whether it is appropriate bearing in mind risks of further inflaming the crowd, wider operational requirements and our ability to gather evidence to arrest later."
Today on the BBC radio program "Today" Johnson took the opportunity to cricize the slashing of police budgets.
"If you ask me whether I think there is a case for cutting police budgets… in the light of these events, then my answer to that would be a 'no'," he said. "I think that this is not a time to think about making substantial cuts in police numbers and I'm looking at the country as a whole."
The U.S. Embassy has issued a statement warning Americans about London violence and has reminded them of common sense practices including avoiding civil unrest and not engaging with those causing disturbance.
The violence that began in London on Saturday has spread across England, with Manchester and Nottingham reportedly being hit harshly by rioters, with roving gangs of young people set buildings and cars on fire and looted stores and terrorizing the public. A gang of rioters firebombed a police station in Nottingham on Tuesday.
"Canning Circus Police Station fire bombed by a group of 30-40 males," Nottingham, England, police said via Twitter. "No reports of injuries at this stage. A number of men arrested. Fire service at scene."
In another tweet, officials added, "Fire at Canning Circus Police Station is extinguished, scene being preserved for forensic evidence. At least 8 arrested."
A total of 90 people have reportedly been arrested in Nottingham so far.
In Manchester hundreds of youths tore through the city, terrorizing police and vandalizing stores. A women's clothing store on the city's main shopping street was set ablaze, along with an unused library in nearby Salford, according to the Associated Press.
"Greater Manchester police officers have been faced with extraordinary levels of violence from groups of people intent on shameful criminality," Garry Shewan, Assistant Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police.
"We want to make it absolutely clear -- they have nothing to protest against," he told the Associated Press. "There is nothing in a sense of injustice and there has been no spark that has led to this," he added.
Sales of aluminum baseball bat sales on amazon.co.uk have shot up 50,000 percent since the riots began.
The wave of rioting now entering its fourth day was sparked by the shooting death of 29-year-old Mark Duggan in the Tottenham section of North London last Thursday. Police have said the man shot at them first. Angry protesters demonstrated against the fatal shooting in the multi-ethnic neighborhood Saturday, and the march soon degenerated into chaos.
Aug. 10, 2011
In London, Scotland Yard has gone on the offensive in the streets, adding an additional 10,000 officers who have created an eerie calm as night fell on the capital that has apparently stifled the rioting.
Officers continued to arrest those involved in disorder both on the street and as a result of detective work, according to a statement from Scotland Yard, which rejected claims that officers were initially instructed not to make arrests.
"It is simply wrong to suggest officers were initially told not to actively arrest those involved in disorder," the statement read. "As always the decision to make an arrest is down to the individual officer on the ground who must weigh up whether it is appropriate bearing in mind risks of further inflaming the crowd, wider operational requirements and our ability to gather evidence to arrest later."
The rioting and looting gripping England has turned deadly as it enters a fifth day with three men killed by a hit-and-run driver in Birmingham.
Reports from neighbors indicate that the men were attempting to protect their area from rioters when they were struck by the car.
"Three men -- aged 31, 30 and 20 -- were on foot in Dudley Road in the Winson Green area of the city when they were in collision with a car. All later died from their injuries in hospital," read a statement of the West Midlands website. "Detectives … will today question a 32-year-old man on suspicion of murder."
In London, Scotland Yard has gone on the offensive in the streets, adding an additional 10,000 officers who have created an eerie calm as night fell on the capital that has apparently stifled the rioting.
Officers continued to arrest those involved in disorder both on the street and as a result of detective work, according to a statement from Scotland Yard, which rejected claims that officers were initially instructed not to make arrests.
"It is simply wrong to suggest officers were initially told not to actively arrest those involved in disorder," the statement read. "As always the decision to make an arrest is down to the individual officer on the ground who must weigh up whether it is appropriate bearing in mind risks of further inflaming the crowd, wider operational requirements and our ability to gather evidence to arrest later."
Today on the BBC radio program "Today" Johnson took the opportunity to cricize the slashing of police budgets.
"If you ask me whether I think there is a case for cutting police budgets… in the light of these events, then my answer to that would be a 'no'," he said. "I think that this is not a time to think about making substantial cuts in police numbers and I'm looking at the country as a whole."
The U.S. Embassy has issued a statement warning Americans about London violence and has reminded them of common sense practices including avoiding civil unrest and not engaging with those causing disturbance.
The violence that began in London on Saturday has spread across England, with Manchester and Nottingham reportedly being hit harshly by rioters, with roving gangs of young people set buildings and cars on fire and looted stores and terrorizing the public. A gang of rioters firebombed a police station in Nottingham on Tuesday.
"Canning Circus Police Station fire bombed by a group of 30-40 males," Nottingham, England, police said via Twitter. "No reports of injuries at this stage. A number of men arrested. Fire service at scene."
In another tweet, officials added, "Fire at Canning Circus Police Station is extinguished, scene being preserved for forensic evidence. At least 8 arrested."
A total of 90 people have reportedly been arrested in Nottingham so far.
In Manchester hundreds of youths tore through the city, terrorizing police and vandalizing stores. A women's clothing store on the city's main shopping street was set ablaze, along with an unused library in nearby Salford, according to the Associated Press.
"Greater Manchester police officers have been faced with extraordinary levels of violence from groups of people intent on shameful criminality," Garry Shewan, Assistant Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police.
"We want to make it absolutely clear -- they have nothing to protest against," he told the Associated Press. "There is nothing in a sense of injustice and there has been no spark that has led to this," he added.
Sales of aluminum baseball bat sales on amazon.co.uk have shot up 50,000 percent since the riots began.
The wave of rioting now entering its fourth day was sparked by the shooting death of 29-year-old Mark Duggan in the Tottenham section of North London last Thursday. Police have said the man shot at them first. Angry protesters demonstrated against the fatal shooting in the multi-ethnic neighborhood Saturday, and the march soon degenerated into chaos.
Monday, August 8, 2011
BlackBerry: Research in Motion needed warrants served
CBS News, August 8, 2011
RIM said yesterday that it would help the authorities wherever possible, by helping police by decrypting messages when warrants were served. The BlackBerry blog was hacked shortly afterwards in protest at RIM's call for help.
One of the UK's intelligence services, GCHQ, is reportedly currently working to trace rioters involved in the civil unrest.
BlackBerry role in riots
See ZDNET blog for several links in this article:
Further to this statement, Patrick Spence, managing director of global sales and regional marketing at the BlackBerry maker, said:
“We feel for those impacted by this weekend’s riots in London. We have engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can. As in all markets around the world where BlackBerry is available, we cooperate with local telecommunications operators, law enforcement and regulatory officials.
Similar to other technology providers in the UK we comply with The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and co-operate fully with the Home Office and UK police forces.”
BlackBerry Messenger has, for quite some time, been a replacement for text messaging. Acting in an all but exact way, users are able to send mass messages to their contacts through “broadcasting” — allowing influential users to organise events, send out party invitations — or in this case, a meeting place to commit acts of violence.
Because of the complexity of current events and the long history that precedes events running up to Friday, it is impossible to know whether BlackBerry Messenger really is being used as a conduit for lawlessness and disorder.
Research in Motion UK’s indication, however, does seem to point in that direction
BlackBerry Messenger 'used to perpetuate riots' in LondonBy Zack Whittaker
August 8, 2011, 11:11am PDT
ZDNET blog
[...]
According to Ofcom’s recent study, BlackBerry handsets are the most common for British teens — with 37% of teenagers aged 13-18 owning one.
PINs — the Personal Identification Number — isn’t just for your chip-and-pin credit or debit card. Used as a unique identifier for each BlackBerry device, PINs can be spread on other social media sites to connect with one another. It is like a phone number, except limited for the BlackBerry range.
Sending PIN messages is a secure and encrypted way of transporting text from one device to another — regardless of whether you are using the corporate BlackBerry Enterprise Server, often limited to enterprises and corporations.
Court-issued warrants could be used to access PIN and BlackBerry Messenger text if necessary, but as the riots progressed from Friday night onwards and continue today, law enforcement cannot keep up.
Having said that, the UK arm of Research in Motion is “stepping in” to help law enforcement wherever possible, the company said on its Twitter account.
Further to this statement, Patrick Spence, managing director of global sales and regional marketing at the BlackBerry maker, said:
“We feel for those impacted by this weekend’s riots in London. We have engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can. As in all markets around the world where BlackBerry is available, we cooperate with local telecommunications operators, law enforcement and regulatory officials.
Similar to other technology providers in the UK we comply with The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and co-operate fully with the Home Office and UK police forces.”
BlackBerry Messenger has, for quite some time, been a replacement for text messaging. Acting in an all but exact way, users are able to send mass messages to their contacts through “broadcasting” — allowing influential users to organise events, send out party invitations — or in this case, a meeting place to commit acts of violence.
Because of the complexity of current events and the long history that precedes events running up to Friday, it is impossible to know whether BlackBerry Messenger really is being used as a conduit for lawlessness and disorder.
Research in Motion UK’s indication, however, does seem to point in that direction
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