Hackney fires. Pic: Belinda Otas
Throughout yesterday, local people and those in positions of authority were giving their reaction to the extraordinary events of Monday night and their aftermath.
Here are just some of their reactions:
The Lewisham borough commander of the Metropolitan Police, Detective Chief Superintendent Jeremy Burton issued a statement on the riots, saying: “We continue to work hard to keep Lewisham safe from harm but evermore acute is the need for strong leadership within our communities, to support us in this endeavour.” The full statement is on the Lewisham News Shopper website
In the Evening Standard, Sir Steve Bullock, the Mayor of Lewisham said the council would do all it could to “protect the law-abiding community”. He condemned the violence but said resources were “being stretched to the limit”.
In Croydon, Emily Walker, 17-year-old who lives in Carshalton, who was cleaning up her street, told the Croydon Guardian: “The state of the place has made me do this. I have a lot of friends who live here…None of them were directly affected last night. Most were scared and left the area.”
Stewart Brennan, another local resident said he was taking his son and wife to his parent’s home as he feared for his West Croydon house: “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to my family when I have options. “ He added he understood the police’s actions last night but said that it meant the trouble was pushed to residential areas.
Councillor Philip Glanville told the Hackney Gazette: “Mare Street [Hackney] update, council officers have already cleaned the streets around here. Big thank you to all our staff.”
Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney, came out to speak with the volunteers who were cleaning up the area and praised their “overwhelming generosity and community spirit.” Speaking of the rioters, he said: “These were people bent on violence who attacked not just property and local businesses, but put residents in fear of their lives.”
Seventeen-year-old Rapper Franklyn Addo, writing on the Guardian’s Comment is Free section of its website about the damage to Pembury Estate in Hackney: “It will take millions of pounds to restore the damage caused in affected boroughs such as mine. It will take years to rebuild community relations and trust in authoritative bodies, which in turn will restore solidarity in my community. Unfortunately, the mental scars and the afflictions of those who have been injured, those whose homes have been destroyed and those whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by these wholly unacceptable events, may never fully heal.” His full article is here
On Twitter, Hackney-based writer @sarfrazmanzoor said: ‘’i would like to see a nighttime reclaim the city march across London. the rioters have made their voice heard, its time for the rest of us.’’ And Idris Elba, Hackney-born star of The Wire Tweeted: London Come on!! This aint it!! Fallback from this shit!!
Reporting: Jade McLachlan and Ellie Baskett
See also comment by Jason Grant
