LONDON — British police arrested 42 people after a rally in north London turned violent, with rioters setting police cars ablaze, hurling petrol bombs and looting stores.
A total of 26 police officers were injured in the riots, Sky News reported Sunday. Earlier, police said that eight officers were taken to the hospital, one of whom sustained a head wound.
The incident was triggered when around 120 people marched from the Broadwater Farm area to Tottenham police station at about 5:00pm local time Saturday to demand “justice” over the fatal shooting of a young father by police.
The shot man — named locally as Mark Duggan — was a 29-year-old father of four. He died at the scene Thursday, allegedly after he exchanged fire with police officers.
Police continued to battle small groups of rioters early Sunday. Members of the public were moved away from the center of the disorder in Tottenham High Road, where the crowd set fire to buildings, trash cans and vehicles.
Metropolitan Police commander Adrian Hanstock said Sunday that three members of the public were treated in the hospital during the riots, adding that two police officers remained in the hospital early Sunday.
Hanstock also said that the riots began when “peaceful demonstrations” were hijacked by “criminal elements.”
“Today [Sunday] is about restoring calm, to reassure people in Tottenham that we are there to keep them safe,” he said. “The death of Mark Duggan was regrettable. Last [Saturday] night, peaceful demonstrations were hijacked by a small number of criminal elements to use that event for their own gain.”
He added, “It is absolutely unacceptable. Our work today [Sunday] is to restore a sense of calm to that community.”
A family friend, who gave her name only as Nikki, 53, said that Duggan’s friends and relatives organized the protest because “something [had] to be done” and the marchers wanted “justice for the family.”
Some of those involved lay on the road to make their point, she said, adding that while Duggan was “involved in things,” he was not a violent man.
The rally, which reportedly began peacefully, turned violent shortly after dark when two empty police cars parked 200 yards (180 meters) from the police station were set upon.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said, “Missiles were thrown at them. One was set alight, and one was pushed into the middle of the … road.”
There were reports that the unrest was stoked further by posts on social media sites such as Twitter that urged other people to join in.
As the violence spread, rioters — some armed with petrol bombs, baseball bats and metal bars, and numbering at least 300 — ran amok and set fire to a double-decker bus, several buildings and even a supermarket.
The trouble spilled over into surrounding residential streets, where vans were also torched. Several residents fled their homes, according to Sky News.
Media crews were forced to withdraw from the area late Saturday after being targeted by the rioters.
A spokesman for London mayor Boris Johnson said that “where there are real concerns in the community, it is right that there is a proper investigation. The incident which led to the violent scenes in Tottenham this [Saturday] evening are the subject of an IPCC [Independent Police Complaints Commission] inquiry,” referring to the shooting of Duggan.
He added, “Violence and destruction of property will do nothing to facilitate this investigation, and we urge those involved to respect the rule of law.”
To read more, go to Sky News