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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri

Time: 11:46 am

Results for riots (u.k.)

7 results found

Author: Morrell, Gareth

Title: The August Riots in England Understanding the Involvement of Young People

Summary: In early August 2011, there were outbreaks of significant crime and disorder in some of England’s major cities. The riots and disturbances began in Tottenham in North London on Saturday 6 August following a peaceful protest in response to the police handling of the shooting of Mark Duggan. An apparent incident between a young girl and police sparked clashes which escalated to wide-scale rioting. Windows were smashed and offices, shops and homes set on fire. Looting broke out in the early hours of Sunday in neighbouring Wood Green and Tottenham Hale. Over the course of the next few days, similar disturbances occurred in other parts of London and in other cities. Different areas of London experienced varying levels of violent protest, vandalism and looting. In some areas like Peckham (8 August), clashes between police and groups of largely local young people sparked violence that turned into looting. Events took a different course in other areas, such as around Clapham Junction station in Battersea (8 August). Here, looting by local people, and others from surrounding areas, was not preceded by any significant protest or clashes with police and continued for several hours before police could arrive in sufficient numbers to halt proceedings. Similar events took place outside London. In Birmingham, looting in the city centre followed by clashes between police and rival groups in suburban areas took place across two nights (8–9 August). In Salford (9 August), events followed a similar pattern to Peckham, with initial aggression towards the police developing quickly into looting. NatCen was commissioned by the Cabinet Office to conduct an independent study into the motivations of young people involved in or affected by the riots - the report is the first, and currently only, major study to be based on what young people themselves have to say. The report focuses on the motivations of young people in five areas affected by the riots, and two areas which were not affected by the riots. It analyses how young people's motivations were shaped by a dramatic and unfamiliar set of circumstances. Whilst examining the background to the riots, the report retains a clear focus on the moral and practical decisions made by different people. The study was delivered by an experienced team of qualitative researchers at NatCen who conducted interviews and focus groups with young people, business owners, youth workers and community leaders in affected and non-affected areas, speaking both to those directly involved and those who chose not to be. The evidence-based analysis provides Cabinet Office, wider government departments and the Independent Riots Communities and Victims Panel, with a deeper understanding of the contributing factors for the sequence of events which took place this summer.

Details: London: NatCen, 2011. 68p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 4, 2011 at: http://www.natcen.ac.uk/study/the-august-riots-in-england-

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.natcen.ac.uk/study/the-august-riots-in-england-

Shelf Number: 123227

Keywords:
Crowd Control
Disorderly Conduct
Looting
Riots (U.K.)

Author: Hallsworth, Simon

Title: Urban Disorder and Gangs: A Critique and a Warning

Summary: We’ve already learnt a great deal from this summer’s catastrophic riots. We’ve mostly learnt what we do not know; we do not know why so many people thought that they would be justified in using the opportunity to indulge in burning and looting; we do not know what role inequality in general and racial inequality in particular played in rioters motivations; and we do not know what needs to be done to ensure that riots of this kind do not happen again. For social policy researchers, the riots should have been humbling and led to revisiting some of the assumptions we had been making about our society. Instead, we’ve also had confirmed for us the challenge in our current political climate of making policy decisions based on evidence. Instead of an approach which sought to gather and understand the evidence, we had a near immediate rush to off-the-shelf theorizing. The riots, it seems, have been all things to all people and have only served to confirm existing views rather than being an opportunity for reflection. This rush has led to a number of myths about the events of the summer; rioters were all ‘criminal, pure and simple’, these riots were nothing to do with racial injustice, criminal gangs were key players, young people are out of control, family structures in our cities are not providing the necessary moral framework, black culture is pathological, etc. The lack of evidence has created a vacuum into which these competing theories have been thrown, and the government’s initial rejection of a public inquiry in favour of a more poorly resourced select committee review and a public engagement ‘victims panel’, may not provide us with the understanding that will cut through the miasma of opinion to discern what really happened and how we make sure it does not happen again. The policy responses to the summer’s riots are coming thick and fast, with reformers emboldened to dust off their pet projects. It is crucial in this period that we make decisions based on evidence rather than speculation, and consider carefully the implications of the decisions made. Instead of trying to understand the riots in order to ensure that social breakdown of this kind does not happen again, we are at risk of allowing the myths to drive the policy agenda. The chances of lasting solutions are in danger of eluding our grasp. Here Simon Hallsworth and David Brotherton highlight the dangers of rushing to ‘gang talk’ to explain the riots or to suggest solutions. The implications of poor policy making in this area are likely to have serious implications for those already marginalised groups within our society. In shaping the responses to the riots it is crucial that we do not merely add fuel to the fire but seek to find lasting solutions to ensure that destructive riots do not scar our neighbourhoods again.

Details: London: Runnymeade, 2011. 28p.

Source: Runnymeade Perspectives: Internet Resource: Accessed February 5, 2012 at http://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/publications/pdfs/UrbanDisorderandGangs-2011.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/publications/pdfs/UrbanDisorderandGangs-2011.pdf

Shelf Number: 123983

Keywords:
Civil Disorders
Nuisance Behaviors and Disorder (U.K.)
Riots (U.K.)

Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Home Affairs Committee

Title: Policing Large Scale Disorder: Lessons from the Disturbances of August 2011

Summary: This presents the submissions to the Committee regarding the disburbances of August 2011. The committee concluded: What ultimately worked in quelling the disorder was increasing the number of police officers on duty and flooding the streets with police. The committee regrets that this did not happen and regards the operation to police the disorder in many towns and cities, and particularly in London, as flawed. Although all the events are grouped together in the public mind as the "August riots", they were different phenomena in different cities and even in different parts of the same city, making it difficult to draw generalised conclusions. The single most important reason why the disorder spread was the perception, relayed by television as well as social media, that in some areas the police had lost control of the streets. Some of those who took part in the disturbances undoubtedly did use social media to communicate with each other, but television also played a part in spreading the disorder. The death of Mark Duggan was a significant factor in the disorder that took place in Tottenham. A potentially tense situation was made worse by failures of communication on the part of the Metropolitan Police and the Independent Police Complaints Commission. All police forces should have a communication strategy in place so that if it is decided that there is a credible threat of severe public disorder, all business in the affected area are given early and consistent advice about what action they should take. This did not happen in August. The Government should urgently clarify whether police authorities will be able to recover the total cost of policing the riots. The August disturbances were an exceptional series of events and, at a time when police authorities are being asked to make significant savings quickly, they should be assisted in meeting the cost of the policing operation. The victim's surcharge, which is currently payable at a flat rate of £15, should be reviewed to consider whether it should be increased for public order incidents where the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 could be invoked. The Government should speed up the process of reimbursing people under the Riot (Damages) Act 1886. The committee commended police forces that made positive use of social media to inform and reassure the public during the disorder. It would be unhelpful to switch off social media during times of widespread and serious disorder.

Details: London: House of Commons, 2011. 85p.

Source: Internet Resource: Sixteenth Report of Session 2010-12: Accessed February 27, 2012 at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmhaff/1456/1456vw.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmhaff/1456/1456vw.pdf

Shelf Number: 124281

Keywords:
Disorderly Conduct
Policing Public Demonstrations
Riots (U.K.)

Author: Nwabuzo, Ojeaku

Title: The Riot Roundtables: Race and the riots of August 2011

Summary: The civil unrest that took place across England’s cities and towns in August 2011 was unprecedented; an experience not felt for at least a generation. Mark Duggan’s death is widely seen to be the spark that ignited those furious days of destruction and the Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death continues. Five people are known to have been killed during the course of the civil disturbance. The impact of the lives lost and the families traumatised as the civil unrest spread across London and the rest of England will take some time to heal. The level of destruction and looting on the streets of England was exceptional. The claims for loss and damage stand between £200-300 million in London alone. When the cost of police overtime and the drafting in of officer reinforcements are included, some reports indicate a total cost of more than £370 million. The streets that were so marked by devastation in August 2011 have largely been refurbished but many shop owners still await their insurance awards and some local business will sadly not reopen. In the aftermath of the civil disturbance, there was quite rightly a condemnation of the violent and destructive activities but there was also a reluctance to understand why it had happened. The disturbances witnessed in Tottenham following the death of Mark Duggan bore a close resemblance to violent unrest that arose from injustices felt by the African Caribbean community in the 1980s. However, as the disturbances spread across London and further, the events unfolded into something less recognizable. In the absence of a full government inquiry, the Runnymede Trust was concerned that ethnic inequality and racial injustice, as potential factors in the civil unrest, were too quickly dismissed and marginalised from public discussions. The Runnymede Riot Roundtables project brought together key local decision-makers, professionals, young people and members of the community to find out what happened during the riots and what can be done to prevent similar riots happening again. Most significantly the project aimed to find out if race played a role in the riots. Roundtables were held in Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Croydon, Lewisham and Westminster; young people were trained to work as peer-topeer researchers and the general public were interviewed in local community hubs. This report aims to highlight the complex ways in which race and racial inequality played a role in the events of August 2011 and provides an alternative narrative for why the civil disturbances occurred. Without a doubt the disturbances emerged and developed from particular local contexts but there are discernible patterns; the disturbances in each of the areas we visited shared some characteristics. The research participants spoke of community tensions with the police; a general rebelliousness amongst ‘disaffected’ young people; and criminal opportunism. It appears that there was not one reason for the civil unrest but many. However, we heard of various examples of racial injustice and racial inequality and what emerged from the Riot Roundtables project is that racial injustice can be seen to be a significant factor in the civil unrest of 2011. This report is organised into four key chapters. Chapter Two, ‘What happened?’, includes a timeline of events; information on who was brought before the courts; and a discussion of the initial responses to the civil unrest. Chapter Three focuses on the reasons for the civil disturbances and is discussed in the light of respondents’ reflections on race relations, racism and racial inequalities. Chapter Four explores the possible reasons why Bradford, a city that has in recent history experienced ‘race riots’, remained peaceful during those days in August 2011. The final chapter of this report includes our conclusions and the policy recommendations that have emerged from this project.

Details: London: Runnymeade, 2012. 46p.

Source: Runnymeade Report: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2012 at http://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/publications/pdfs/RiotRoundtables-2012.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/publications/pdfs/RiotRoundtables-2012.pdf

Shelf Number: 124632

Keywords:
Criminal Justice Policy (U.K.)
Race (U.K.)
Riots (U.K.)

Author: Riots Communities and Victims Panel (U.K.)

Title: After the Riots: The Final Report of the Riots Communities and Victims Panel

Summary: The independent Panel set up to explore the causes of the riots in England last year has presented its final report to the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Official Opposition. The report makes wide-ranging public policy recommendations which the Panel argue must be enacted together, to ensure the risk of future riots seen on the scale of last August can be significantly reduced. The cross party Panel’s findings are based on research in communities, and consultation with third sector organisations and social enterprises, local authorities, and private sector employers. Many people the Panel spoke to shared a concern about a lack of opportunities for young people, poor parenting, a lack of shared values and sense of responsibility among some, an inability of the justice system to prevent re-offending, concerns about brands and materialism and issues relating to confidence in the police. The wide ranging issues and recommendations tackled in the Panel's final report include: •Families aren’t getting the support they need. The Panel supports the Government’s Troubled Families Programme, but found that the overlap with rioters is limited. Government and local public services should develop a strategy incorporating the principles of the Troubled Families Programme to help 500,000 ‘forgotten families’ turn their lives around. •Communities told the Panel that young people need to build character to help them realise their potential and to prevent them making poor decisions, like rioting. Schools should assume responsibility for helping children build character. •Children are leaving school unable to read and write – one fifth of school leavers have the literacy skills of an eleven year old, or younger. Where schools fail to teach children to read and write they should pay a financial penalty, used to help the pupil ‘catch up’. •Communities and young people told the Panel that having a job is key to people feeling that they have a stake in society. Government and local public services should fund together a ‘Youth Job Promise’ scheme to get young people a job, when they have been unemployed for a year.

Details: London: Riots Communities and Victims Panel, 2012. 148p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2012 at: http://riotspanel.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Riots-Panel-Final-Report1.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://riotspanel.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Riots-Panel-Final-Report1.pdf

Shelf Number: 124765

Keywords:
Economic Conditions
Families
Public Disorder
Riots (U.K.)
Social Conditions

Author: Youth Justice Board for England and Wales

Title: Young People and the August 2011 Disturbances: Observations from the Youth Justice Board Consultation with Young People and Youth Offending Team Staff

Summary: This report presents findings from a consultation with young people and youth offending team practitioners on the disturbances that took place across London and then England between 6 and 11 August 2011. In particular, it presents findings on the views and experiences of a small group of: young people under 18 sentenced to community and custodial sentences in the immediate aftermath of the disturbances; youth offending team staff about their role and experiences during the disturbances.

Details: London: Youth Justice Board, 2012. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012 at http://yjbpublications.justice.gov.uk/en-gb/Scripts/fileDownload.asp?file=Young+people+and+the+August+2011+disturbances%2Epdf

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://yjbpublications.justice.gov.uk/en-gb/Scripts/fileDownload.asp?file=Young+people+and+the+August+2011+disturbances%2Epdf

Shelf Number: 126525

Keywords:
Anti-Social Behavior (U.K.)
Juvenile Offenders (U.K.)
Riots (U.K.)

Rutgers - School of Law, Newark

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Results for riots (u.k.)