RIOTERS FIRE BOMB CAPITAL
Rashan protest turns violent
RIOTERS blocked roads and hurled petrol bombs in protest at the death of a black man following a police chase.
Violence broke out on Friday and continued until the early hours, with protesters blocking roads using makeshift barricades.
The protesters stopped motorists and cyclists from travelling down a main road in Hackney, east London.
Video footage showed one lorry driver powering through the roadblocks, as angry people clung to his truck.
The disturbances sparked fears of a repeat of the 2011 riots that gripped London and other large UK cities, following the shooting of gangster Mark Duggan after a police chase.
The recent trouble came after the death of Rashan Charles, 20, who passed away after being apprehended by officers in Dalston, east London on July 22.
Local MP Diane Abbott issued a statement, saying: “The anger at the death of Rashan Charles is understandable. But Rashan’s family have explicitly spoken out against hostile actions.
“We must respect their wishes and protests must be peaceful.”
Meanwhile, local police used their official Twitter account to upload a photo of a damaged squad car, writing: “Officers have been subjected to abuse & violence.
“Whatever the frustrations, this is patently NOT what the family of Rashan Charles wanted.”
They also retweeted a comment from firefighter Jason Croucher, who said: “Last night’s riot was NOT good people.”
And there was further controversy after Cambridge student Jason Osamede Okundaye, in charge of the Black and Ethnic Minority society at the university, tweeted: “All white people are racist. White middle class, white working class, white men, white women, white gays, white children. They can all geddit.”
Yesterday, police revealed a 17-year-old boy had been arrested on suspicion of GBH during the disorder, with one officer suffering minor injuries during the disturbances.