Riots could occur again, warns panel

Riots similar to the ones that rocked London and some other parts of England could recur unless there are appro-priate preparations in place, an independent panel has warned.

Lack of urgent action on the part of the authorities led the riots to spread from London to other parts of the coun-try, the Riots Communities and Victims panel has said.

The panel has also urged police authorities to review their emergency plans to ensure public order in the event of riots. The commission was set up by the government to investigate the incidents which led to the rioting following the death of Mark Duggan in police shooting.

The initial reason for the riot was Mark Duggan’s death, and the perception of a lack of sufficient policing in London caused the violence to spread to other parts of England, the panel said.

“The streets were there for the taking and there was no single cause for the disturbances, each having its own DNA” says the panel in its interim re-port “5 Days in August.”

"Most disturbing to us was a widespread feeling that some rioters had no hope and nothing to lose," the Guardian has quoted Darra Singh, the panel's chair, as saying. There was an absence of "hopes and dreams" among young people in many of the riot hit areas, the panel added.

An estimated 13,000 to 15,000 people were "actively involved" in the disturbances, projected to cost the government £500 million. The panel has visited 17 riot-hit areas and spoke to thousands of people affected.

The panel found out that these were not “race riots” and most of the people involved were not gang members. Out of a total of 2000 people brought to justice so far, 74 percent were 24 and under, 46 percent black, 42 percent white and 7 percent Asian. Seventy percent of the arrested were living in most deprived areas and about three-quarters had previous convictions.

Mark Duggan was shot dead by the police on August 4, an incident which triggered a series of violence for five days that began in Tottenham, north London. Five people were dead and 4000 people were arrested in connection with the worst riots witnessed in Britain witnessed in modern history.
The final report of the panel is expected to come out in March 2012.