As it stands on Sunday morning, there were no fatalities during the rioting last night in and around Tottenham High Road. As well as Police cars and a double-decker bus being set-on fire, so were a number of buildings including the post office and Aldi superstore. Local shopkeepers have seen their businesses gutted and/or looted, including one family which had to flee in their pyjamas and now find both their business and flat a pile of burnt rubble.
The spark came at some point during a peacable protest following the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan by SO19 officers as part of Operation Trident. One officer also was shot and avoided serious injury when his radio stopped the bullet. It remains unclear what precisely initiated the rioting, but all of those interviewed during the ongoing BBC reports – including local MP, David Lammy; leader of Haringey Council, Claire Kober; and Nims Obunge, a local pastor – have insisted that, regardless of any feelings of disconnect towards the Police felt by local residents, external agitators to disrupt an already fragile situation.
Judging by reports of orchestrated looting and masked rioters halting cars on the High Road – resulting in many three-point turns as drivers escaped – this seems likely.
Twenty-five years after the Broadwater Farm riots, it will be advisable for any inheritors of Bernie Grant to refrain from passing comment. The same goes for Chris Williamson(hat-tip, Archbishop Cramner).
