2011 England riots
The 2011 England riots, more widely known as the London riots, were a series of riots between 6 and 11 August 2011. Thousands of people rioted in cities and towns across England, which saw looting and arson, as well as mass deployment of police and the deaths of five people.
| 2011 England riots | |
|---|---|
Firefighters dousing a shop and flats destroyed by arson during the initial rioting in Tottenham | |
| Date | 6–11 August 2011 (copycat incidents continued after this period) |
| Location | Several boroughs of London; West Midlands, Merseyside, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Bristol and several other areas |
| Methods | Rioting, looting, arson, robbery, assault, murder |
| Resulted in | Shops, homes, vehicles destroyed |
| Reported fatalities and injuries | |
| Death(s) | 5 |
| Injuries | 205 (16 members of the public, 186 police officers, and 3 police community support officers) |
| Arrested | 3,000+ |
| Damage | 2815 homes, businesses attacked |
The protests started in Tottenham Hale, London, following the death of Mark Duggan, a local black man who was shot dead by police on 4 August. Several violent clashes with police followed Duggan's death, along with the destruction of police vehicles, a double-decker bus and many homes and businesses; which rapidly gained the attention of the media. Overnight, looting took place in Tottenham Hale retail park and in nearby Wood Green. The following days saw similar scenes in other parts of London, with the worst rioting taking place in Hackney, Brixton, Walthamstow, Wandsworth, Peckham, Enfield, Battersea, Croydon, Ealing, Barking, Woolwich, Lewisham and East Ham.
From 8 to 11 August, other towns and cities in England (including Birmingham, Bristol, Coventry, Derby, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester and Nottingham) faced what was described by the media as "copycat violence", with social media playing a role. By 10 August, more than 3,000 arrests had been made across England, with at least 1,984 people facing criminal charges for various offences related to the riots. Initially, courts sat for extended hours. A total of 3,443 crimes across London were linked to the disorder. Along with the five deaths, at least 16 others were injured as a direct result of related violent acts. An estimated £200 million worth of property damage was incurred, and local economic activity – which in many cases was already struggling due to the 2008 recession – was significantly compromised.
Significant debate was generated among political, social, and academic figures about the causes and context of the riots. Attributions for the rioters' behaviour included social factors such as racial tension, class tension, economic decline and its consequent unemployment.