- Prime Minister David Cameron tells MPs: "We will not allow a climate of fear to exist on our streets"
- PM says police initially treated problems "as a public order issue" rather than criminality
- Those whose homes or businesses were damaged will be able to seek compensation under Riot Damages Act, PM says
- Labour leader Ed Miliband says MPs "stand shoulder to shoulder, united against the vandalism and violence".
A Premier League statement read: "Following on-going discussions with the Metropolitan Police, statutory authorities and clubs in London, the Premier League can confirm that, aside from the postponed Tottenham Hotspur v Everton match, all League games in the capital will go ahead as scheduled this weekend.
As Riots Spread Beyond London, Cameron Tries On an Iron Fist
British Prime Minister David Cameron's leadership is gradually being defined by the riots that have blazed across the U.K. — and he is determined to be portrayed as the toughest hombre in town, the man to clean up the lawless inner cities by any means necessary.
Gone is "Hug-a-Hoodie" Cameron — a label stuck to him after a speech in July 2006 in which he said antisocial youngsters often needed to feel more love — and in its place is "Hang 'Em High" Cameron.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister, in effect, gave himself 48 hours to end the rioting and bring peace back to the streets of Britain's cities. To that end, he trebled to 16,000 the number of police available in London and promised to update a recalled Parliament on Thursday on the success, or otherwise, of his fight back.
While the move to flood the capital city with riot police appeared to do the trick, with no serious disturbances on Tuesday night, the riots had moved into the U.K.'s next biggest cities: Birmingham, where three men were killed in a hit-and-run incident, Manchester and Liverpool where there was a repeat of the arson, looting and violence that was seen during the previous nights in London. And once again, the police found it impossible to keep ahead of the rioters.
Cameron upped the ante. After a second meeting of the government's civil-emergencies committee, COBRA, he announced that plastic bullets were available to the police and that he had authorized the use of water cannons.
He matched his actions with equally robust words, saying the courts should jail anyone convicted of violent disorder and insisting that "phony human rights" should not be allowed to get in the way of identifying and bringing to justice anyone involved in the violence.
ORIGINAL SOURCE
Content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
No comments:
Post a Comment