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Homeless fear violence as riots erupt on Britain?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s streets

September 16 2011
“There was an air of nervousness,” says charity spokesperson, but fortunately no major injuries

 

In the minds of many, the riots that began on 6 August in Tottenham and spread across Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester have strengthened the perception of British society as ‘broken’. Three men were killed in Birmingham, when they were hit by a car while defending their property, and many business owners have feared for their premises.

The anxiety caused by violence on the streets has also reached our readers. Mike Nicholas of homelessness charity Thames Reach commented that “there was an air of nervousness and people were moving away from the areas of riots.” Although Nicholas had heard of one case of a phone being stolen from a homeless man he hadn’t heard of anyone being hurt or assaulted in any way, despite working with thousands of homeless people every year.

While there were reports in Liverpool of assaults to outreach workers, some of whom apparently suffered bruising, it is unclear whether this was as a result of rioting. Matty Roberts, at the Liverpool YMCA, was relieved and said that “none of our members have really been affected by the riots. Luckily we’re out of the area where it happened.”

Elsewhere, Manchester City Council has been praised for its swift efforts to ensure housing was available to some of the city’s rough sleepers. Councillor Paul Andrews, the Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, stressed his commitment to tackle rough sleeping. He said: “I will ensure that the City Council and its partners continue to do as much as we can to prevent people from rough sleeping. Where people do end up on the streets I will ensure that they continue to be given the appropriate support they need to move away from them as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, confusion and debate over the possible causes of the riots is widespread. Many involved in the Tottenham riots have cited reported police misinformation regarding the death of Mark Duggan as an initial trigger for the violence. However, Duggan’s family has sought to distance their son from the actions some appear to have carried out in his name.

Since the trials of looters began, words like ‘stupid’, ‘prank’ and ‘opportunistic’ have appeared frequently in the press. To many commentators, it seems the rioters were driven entirely by greed and not by political motivation.

While not everyone has been directly affected by the riots, the rippling financial effects will be felt by most. David Cameron has promised that aid will be made available to help stricken areas recover following the riots. Ten million pounds has been allocated to ensure that the worst-hit areas recover to a pre riot standard and more money is promised to help businesses re-establish themselves and to compensate home and business owners.

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