I don’t believe the wrongful killing should take the blamed for the riots. It was just pure thuggery from the youth that caused the riots. Can’t even blame it on one Social class because it was across the board.

What a difference a year makes. Well done to London, such a turn around and the Olympics have been brilliant, just wish I could go….!

the riots were in more cities than london – i.e. Birmingham, Bristol, Gloucester, Gillingham and Nottingham, Leicester, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton, Bury, Liverpool, Manchester, Rochdale, Salford, Wythenshawe, Sefton and Wirral.

They didn’t happen over the borders in Scotland or Wales even though Cardiff is 20 minutes on the train from Bristol etc

both Scotland and Wales have massively deprived communities with young people that listen to exactly the same music, watch exactly the same TV programmes, idolise exactly the same celebrities, wear exactly the same trainers, same levels or marital breakdown or whatever, the same or even worse job prospects etc.

As an Irish person living in London , last summer was horrific,
As a person that works for the met these riots had absolutely nothing to do with the Shooting of Mark Duggan, it was an excuse, I’m not going to get into the whole arguement of the rights and wrongs of his shooting
It was simply down to thuggery, mob rule, lack of respect, culture clash, greed! too much political correctness in this world!
These exact groups/ gangs of youths are the one that stab an shoot each and every other weekend but this time last year they suddenly all became friends!

The future of this world need to learn the hard way, that simply behaving the way you did last summer is not good enough!
From what I can see it has become almost like an important social status to have been caught an do time for being involved in the riots! Almost like it is classed as fun to have an Asbo!

The amount of lives/ businesses/ jobs that were destroyed by last summers riots can never be forgotten
I know when I was 16 and I didn’t get a job where ever I left my cv, I didn’t go an burn down that shop, I continued searching until I found a job!
Most of these KIDS have never, will never and most probably don’t want to work a day in their sad lives! Because they grew up in “deprived areas” ( get a grip, sort yere selves out, make something of your life)
But think its cool to hang around on street corners terrorising ordinary members of the public going about their ordinary business …..
Yes I know people from all walks of life got involved, I’m not excusing that but who really started all the trouble, ???? The youths of today , tommorrow ‘s future

I live in London. The issues are complex. we talk about these ‘kids’ like they are subhuman. Not gonna help them along in society is it? It makes career criminals out of them! Look at the Olympics – so many young British people of varied backgrounds competing & winning. Look what it does for their self-worth. This is what we need to do – give kids something to show their value. But TOWIE & Kardashians are considered role models? People who don’t do much for a living? Is it any wonder there’s disenfranchisement & disorder & all they really wanted was trainers & flatscreen tellies.

@Barry they are deep-rooted issues in every inner City the World over, it has a lot to do with education and respect.
Kids today want it now they have no concept of how or what to do when they keep getting rejected for work and no places for them in college, they see a big black hole of no hope, I’m not condoning their actions one bit as they each had a choice, yes there was a lot of anger and resentment over the police shooting, it’s happened in years gone and it will happen again.
Society is the way it is with marital breakdown and kids needing mentoring
they are sucked into peer pressure where they feel part of something. It’s a very grim picture of reality at it’s worse.

This research paper might interest some, seems like a lot of the usual attitudes out there which is disheartening, really shows how far we are from an inclusive society.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2011/dec/14/reading-the-riots-investigating-england-s-summer-of-disorder-full-report

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc8U-V_3VKY&feature=youtube_gdata_player – this video captures some also