UK riots and call for ban on EDL march

Following the UK riots, we have heard countless causes and explanations from commentators across the media and political spectra. The rioters’ behaviour was completely unacceptable, inexcusable and unjustifiable.What we witnessed was the indescribable loss of conscience combined with the result of rap culture, gangsterism, drugs, alcoholism and nasty effects of consumerism. We needed effective but immediate solutions at the time but we 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 abroad on holiday. 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 is he and when will he return. Luckily, the Home Secretary arrived before him but in her own words 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 to Great Britain. May’s arrogance was then questioned on Radio 4’s Today Programme by the presenter where she had responded nervously as if to mean something else.

This violence 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 the capital 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 are said to have experienced 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 people stayed indoors 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.

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 tragedy during any EDL march in Tower Hamlets or anywhere else in the country as tensions are still high following the riots. We call upon the Home Secretary to impose the ban on the EDL using all law enforcement powers so that people can have more faith in community cohesion, safety and stability.

 

 

 

Of course the Tory-led cuts have had negative impacts on public services and millions of poor people (and the public should decide their fate at the next general election). 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.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, let’s all say no to mindlessness (without playing politics) and defend our communities collectively against the proposed EDL march on September 3rd which we call on the Home Secretary to ban with immediate effect for obvious reasons. Surely 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 all peace loving Eastenders. We live in Hope, not Hatred.

 

 

 

Wais Islam (BA Econ, MSc Public Policy)
Former Tower Hamlets Labour councillor and Olympic Ambassador
wais.islam@yahoo.com