Nostrils burned from the smell of burning rubber and gasoline. Tears fell as cars, homes, and buildings were all ablaze. The sounds of gunfire are heard as masked people engage in violent fights with the police. People fall to the ground. Smoke and rubble is everywhere. London is in flames.
The 2011 London riots began with the shooting of Mark Duggan, who was involved in an altercation with the police. Mark pulled out a gun when stopped by the police and was instantly shot. The police thought he was part of a gang. Mark’s family and friends had a peaceful protest and this is where it got out of control. Some criminals took advantage of the protest and started riots while pretending to protest the shooting.
Looters begin breaking into businesses and stealing everything. Virtually everything is set on fire and no place is safe. Businesses windows are smashed and the interiors trashed. Debris, torched cars, and looters and criminals filled the streets of London. People did not leave their homes for fear of being attacked. Everywhere people were being mugged and attacked by criminals. Violent confrontations erupted between rioters, looters, the police, and vigilantes. A few brave people who decided to defend their own communities from rioters. Many used baseball bats to protect their family and homes. However, the police were outnumbered by the rioters and began to retreat.
Next, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom speaks to the public and puts thousands of police officers on the streets to protect businesses and people. The fears of the public begin to ease, but the fear still exists. Most people still stay in their homes and have baseball bats near the door. The extra police officers begin to battle back against the rioters. The fights between them are now all won by the police. Over 3100 arrests are made by the officers and 1100 are with a trial. The riots finally begin to die down in London. However, that does not begin to say the emotional and physical problems that these riots have given London. People’s businesses are ruined; homes are gone, belongings stolen. The problem is more than just monetary value.
These riots have taken their toll on not just London, but the whole country. Everywhere in England there were riots. It will take a long time for England to recover from the devastating effects of the riots. The streets of London are only beginning to clean up. There is still much debris that fills them. The whole country will face the repercussions of the riots for the months and even years to come. It will take a long time to repair all the businesses and homes damaged by the criminals.
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