Mad Mobs and Englishmen? Myths and realities of the 2011 riots by Reicher Steve & Stott Cliff

Author:Reicher, Steve & Stott, Cliff [Stott, Cliff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780335322
Publisher: Constable Robinson
Published: 2011-11-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

Four Days in August

In this chapter we provide a description of what actually went on in the recent English riots. Since there were literally hundreds of different incidents in many different cities, we have neither the information nor the space to give details of absolutely everything that transpired. Rather, we focus on a number of the major events in sufficient detail to draw out some broad patterns of behaviour. We begin with Tottenham, because that is where it all started. We then go on to look at Hackney, because it was here that probably the largest of the riots took place. Then we consider Croydon and, more briefly, other cities such as Birmingham and Manchester, because they illustrate some rather different patterns.

In order to build our account, we have drawn on four types of sources. The first is personal conversations with people who had first-hand experience of the riots, particularly senior police officers. The second are other detailed and systematic analyses of events, including an in depth investigative analysis on the origins of the riot first broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on 25 August 2011. The third includes media accounts, particularly live footage of events and conversations with participants. But the fourth, and by far the most comprehensive resource, has been video material posted to You Tube. There has been a remarkable wealth of such material, although some of it is now being removed out of fears it will be used to prosecute participants.

By combining these various sources, and then by linking our material to Google Maps Street View, we are able to calculate both where events occurred and how they fit together. In this way, we have been able to build up a far richer picture of the riots than we first envisaged. What is more, by providing hyperlinks to some of the original videos (where it is still on the web) and other sources, you, the reader, can assess the extent to which you think our conclusions are warranted. This is a basic premise of all science – don’t take anything on authority, look at the evidence!

The Tottenham Riot

A Background of Antagonism

Haringey (the borough in which Tottenham lies) is the thirteenth most deprived borough in England133 and one of the most ethnically mixed. Figures from 2009 show that nearly half the population are non-white (48.7 per cent) as opposed to 40.2 per cent for London and 13 per cent for England and Wales as a whole.134

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