Anarchy in Brixton: Riots and Violence Break Out in the UK

Patrick Henningsen
Infowars.com
August 8, 2011

Editor’s note: In April of 2009, British Communities Secretary Hazel Blears warned that the economic depression would lead to riots and violence. “Globally, in the next two years, bouts of social unrest are likely to disrupt economies and topple governments, the Economist Intelligence Unit said,” Mail Online reported on April 30, 2009.

The violence has spread to Enfield, Dalston and Walthamstow, according to the Guardian. The British news source reports there is evidence the violence is organized. “There’s got to be a link to that extent that it’s the day after and the police are hugely well organised in Tottenham so maybe this was seen as the place to have a second night,” said leader of Enfield council, Doug Taylor.

A march to protest the shooting of a 29-year-old in a police operation to control firearms two days earlier turned violent late Saturday.

Less than 24 hrs after riots broke in Tottenham, North London last night, a series of random incidents involving local youths snowballed into general riots in Brixton, South London Sunday evening and into Monday morning.

Today Brixton hosted its annual carnival, the Brixton Splash, with over 20,000 people in attendance. Shortly after the event finished at 7:00pm GMT, a series of sporadic incidents between local youths and police escalated into pockets of rioting, burning and looting around central Brixton.

Following the dispersal of a number of gangs from the downtown area, groups of youths began to fan out into the surrounding area from 11:00PM.

Eyewitness reports put looting and vandalism as far out as neighboring town centre, Streatham High Road, where JD Sports retail outlet was vandalised and looted by gangs of youths.

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

At 1:ooAM this morning, this reporter witnessed one gang of seven hooded youths barricading a major egress out of Brixton, on Stockwell Road, pushing rubbish bins into the road in order to stop traffic passing through. The gang proceeded to attempt a series of car-jackings on drivers who were trying to head away from Brixton. One man was beaten and left in the middle of road by the marauding gang.

Live footage taken of gangs hitting Footlocker store in downtown Brixton.

Footage of Brixton High Street fires and riot police on the scene.

Local resident Michael Martins described the evening’s events, “It was complete anarchy downtown. They were fortunate that there was already a large police presence for the festival. We’ll see tomorrow if this one was as bad as the 1981 Brixton riots. It’s going to set the area back for sure.”

Eyewitness reports from residents described a number of shops and businesses including T-Mobile, Footlocker, Currys electronics on Effra Road and businesses situated along Coldharbour Lane, all of which were looted with some set alight by seemingly unorganised, random mobs of local youths.

Local police were inundated with calls regarding attacks of passers-by and violence throughout the night, and in many cases were unable to attend to many emergencies which were happening all over the area.

Patrick Henningsen’s post first appeared on the 21st Century Wire blog.

This article was posted: Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 9:27 pm

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