The shooting of Mark Duggan - cause for a riot?

Let's be clear about one thing, - the shooting of Mark Duggan, is a tragedy. Non one in their right mind would say otherwise. Any suspect i.e. someone who is to be arrested and not charged, that is killed is something that should never happen.

But it does, not very often, but it happens. There are times when the police, the people let us not forget who carry out those duties on our behalf every day, get it wrong. But there are times especially now, when the police are faced with a very dangerous suspect who may not wish to be arrested and is not of sound mind and sees violence as a way of avoiding arrest.

It is not clear yet in this case what actually happened but there is no justification for what followed. Destruction on a scale I have not witnessed before in a place like Tottenham. Tottenham is a bad area. Don't get me wrong, most of the people who live there are like the rest of us, they are just trying to make it work in an increasingly difficult world. But there are times when there will be a certain combination of events that come together like a dangerous chemical cocktail and suddenly and very dramatically explode.

So it was with the latest Tottenham riot. Latest? Yes, Tottenham has previous for this kind of riot circa 1985. Right now there is a need for understanding and calm. Government and police need to understand that before the shooting of Mark Duggan, things were bad. People are hurting. Money is scarce for some people especially in an area like Tottenham. There are organised gangs of criminals like those that looted Tottenham this week, who are waiting for just such an incident to gather, using social media and pounce on an area like Tottenham and wreak havoc and carnage.

The shooting of Mark Duggan was their moment and did they not gorge themselves silly! The people of Tottenham need to come together with the police and be strong and not divided. This is not some wishy washy idealist world, this is the reality. If you have a divided society, criminals will fill it with violence and hatred and the result is clear for all to see. It looks like in all the years since 1985, nothing much has changed in Tottenham.

The Alternative Bollox.