Reply #20: For the riots, you mean? Short explanation: police excesses. [View All]

[MADem]

The thing that sparked it was a crackdown on guns (which criminals do have in UK) and the police shot a lad who supposedly fired on them, only it turns out he didn't.

There's also been a lot of police bullying going on for awhile, sort of like the way the police were in USA during the sixties. The police were likely trying to do a NYC-Giuliani sort of cleanup/enforcement ahead of the Olympics which will be coming to London.

However, it's gone from youthful protest over grievances against the police, to let's get all the electronics, clothing, and high end retail items we can, while the getting is good. Organized criminals are taking advantage and they are targeting stores and setting fires to distract, they are even driving around to the stores in groups to grab as much as they can carry. It is a mess.