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Comment 1 | From: Wais | Date: 25 August 2011, 16:17

Good news. Following the UK riots, we have heard countless causes and explanations from commentators across the media and political spectrum. The rioters' behaviour was completely unacceptable, inexcusable and unjustifiable. What we witnessed was the indescribable loss of conscience combined with what many would argue the result of rap-culture, gangsterism, drugs, alcoholism and nasty effects of consumerism. We needed effective but immediate solutions at the time but instead, saw knee-jerk reactions from politicians blaming one another for political capital. London was in chaos as Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May were both on holiday abroad. They had only returned when the situation got out of hand. The Prime Minister was still in Tuscany when the country really needed him and everyone was asking where he was and when he will return. Luckily, the Home Secretary arrived before him but attempting to display authority in public before global media ‘ordered the police’ to take action, as if they didn’t know what to do and were bound by some constitutional agreement to receive ‘orders’ from the Home Office before bringing law and order to the streets of Great Britain. May’s arrogance was then questioned by the presenter on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme where she had responded nervously as if to mean something else. The kind of intolerant violence the nation witnessed was not the result of youth centre funding shortages or Educational Maintenance Allowance cuts but thuggery and mindlessness resulting from a lack of fear of anything. Short term solutions were needed during the riots across the country but police figures were so low, especially in London that they were then (belatedly) increased to 16,000 to deal with the situation. Of course that involved bringing in forces from outside the capital where the police had been stretched beyond limit and experienced serious problems as a result. While the public demanded immediate solutions, politicians and media commentators were discussing the many causes of the riots that were completely irrelevant to what was happening to the nation: mayhem and chaos like never seen before as millions of Britons stayed indoors in fear in their own country staring at their TV sets to see what was happening while businesses, large and small, all feared looting and vandalism and so protected them knowing that the police numbers and responses were utterly inadequate. Sadly, the nation also learnt of the tragic murders of three youths trying to protect businesses in Birmingham. This is when Tariq Jahan, the father of one of the victims, made a heroic plea for calm across the nation that touched millions for his dignified call for peace. Talking about long term solutions, there appears to be serious policy failures that have created a generation of minority but growing number of youths, boys and girls, who do not respect authority or fear law. We need solutions and policymakers must all provide concrete solutions to specific problems. Good policing is one of them. Undoubtedly, this is something people want to see more of. That's where we must demand greater investment from the government as they cut their budget. In addition to increasing their number, the police must also be given special powers to deal with such situations in the future. Of course the Tory-led cuts have had negative impacts on public services and millions of poor people for which the public should decide their fate at the next general election. But in the meantime, we need an independent inquiry into what caused the riots and this previously unseen society of fearless criminals inspired by consumerism and vandalism. We also need more investment in early school and secondary education and positively consider the introduction of compulsory parenting courses combined with support programmes for single parents. Research should also be carried out to investigate whether those arrested were driven to commit such crimes because they come from broken homes, for example, with absent fathers. Labour Leader Ed Miliband has stressed in an interview on BBC Radio 4 that there is a need for 'good parenting'. The riot perpetrators showed no respect for the sanctity of people’s life or property. We must rally behind the police and come together as a nation and not be divided blaming one another. As Ed Miliband has said these are ‘complex problems’ we need to address with ‘specific solutions’ in the form of a ‘national conversation’ with the people of this great nation. Indeed it was unacceptable to hear of the deaths of those trying to defend their communities and for this reason alone we mustn’t allow a potential repeat fatal tragedy during any EDL march in Tower Hamlets (or anywhere else in the country) as tensions are still high following the riots. For fear of serious public disorder, we call upon the Home Secretary to impose the ban on the EDL march using all law enforcement powers possible so that people can have more faith in community cohesion, safety and stability. Tower Hamlets is a multicultural borough with a substantial ethnic minority population, mostly Bangladeshi Muslims, who not only are law-abiding and hardworking British citizens but who actually contribute to British society including its economy. Let's all say no to mindlessness and defend our communities collectively against the proposed EDL march on September 3rd which we repeatedly call on the Home Secretary to ban urgently 'with immediate effect' in order to avoid serious public disorder which may include another riot that could result in fatalities. Surely, over 25,000 signatures petitioning for a ban speak volumes of how people feel about this hate-filled, pointless, Islamophobic march which really is an attack on not only all peace-loving Eastenders but millions of decent Brits too. We live in Hope, not Hatred

Comment 2 | From: Sam | Date: 26 August 2011, 11:41

Excellent!!! Keep up the good work HNH :))

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Meet Tommy Robinson leader of the English Defence League

What happens when the EDL comes to town

credit: consequential films

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