Vigilantes were forced onto the streets last night to protect their homes and businesses after police failed to materialise at many of the scenes of looting and violence which swept across London.
As officers lost control of the streets locals were forced to take the law into their own hands, arming themselves with sticks and chasing looters away from their properties.
In Dalston and Hackney, north-east London, Turkish shopkeepers and their families fought back against looting youths, before spending the night standing shoulder-to-shoulder in an attempt to deter further attacks.
One man said: ´This is Turkish Kurdish area. They come to our shops and we fight them with sticks.´
Despite increasing calls for the police to get tough with the rioters, Home Secretary Theresa May today sparked anger as she appeared to dismiss the notions that water cannons and even the Army could be used to ensure violent scenes are not repeated tonight.
As police were slammed for appearing to let looters run riot under their noses, Mrs May instead advocated a more softly-softly approach.
She said: ´The way we police in Britain is not through use of water cannon. The way we police in Britain is through consent of communities.´
On Shacklewell Lane, the Turkish community was hailed across Twitter as being the force which saved the area from wanton destruction.
After a single-deck bus was burned out, stick-wielding shopkeepers chased away a gang of youngsters before standing defiant in the face of further violence.
One, who would not give his name, said: ´We beat up four of them quite badly and they ran off.´ Another said: ´This is not justice, coming here and trying to attack us.´
In testament to the men´s bravery, several businesses on the street remained open as usual, unlike other areas where shopkeepers had heeded police advice to shut their doors early.
Guardian reporter Paul Lewis described the scenes on Kingsland Road, Hackney, as Turkish men clashed with youths, tweeting: ´Kingsland Road chaotic as Turkish men attack other, predominantly black, youths with sticks, metal barricades and bricks.´
In a further tweet Mr Lewis quoted a man carrying a stick as saying: ´This is Turkish Kurdish area. They come to our shops and we fight them with sticks.´
Source: here
Edited (8/10/2011) by si++
Edited (8/10/2011) by si++
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