Behind the Clapham riots: 'the police are the enemy'

In south London, the young general on opposite sides of the conflict grass united in their opposition to "mainstream," said Amanda Conroy

The BBC was criticized for referring to those involved in the riots and looting as "demonstrators". The debate on how to call the unrest is more than journalistic accuracy, the question is whether these actions were ultimately about "things" or "policy"

riots in London was chosen as episodes of "opportunistic crime" barbaric nonsense, apolitical because of their apparent lack of leadership, the goals of policy or a formal commitment to what might be called mainstream politics. In the weeks have passed since the riots in Clapham - my neighborhood - I had the opportunity to talk with local community members, leaders of youth groups and young residents of Finance local public. He concluded that although the looting and destruction in south London, could have been "things" can not be separated as free from political protest.

For many people I have spoken, the ability to "fight" with the "government", fighting against the police, was political. It was an important part of the decision to take part in the riots. These children in Clapham and elsewhere, said a young head of Brixton "are surrounded by a culture of" fuck the police and the riots were given the greatest opportunity you can to fight against [them ]".

This "Fuck The Police" culture, said that many young people who live on a farm in Wandsworth Council knew the people involved in the disturbances in Clapham, the fact that residents are constantly arrested and registered . "When you stop the police from a certain area, they have zero respect," one resident said young male HLM.

police is seen as nothing more than an obstacle to making money and having fun, said the young leader of Brixton. For many young people living in council housing, the police are the enemy. Are the representation of the limits of his life, his lack of options - the most immediate manifestation of what can or can not not

• The riots also offers a unique opportunity for young people congregate. A young man told me that the events around Wandsworth heritage are affected by "turf wars" broke out among young people. "The whole question of the riots was that there were children of different ages, different states come together in one large group. Call as" Hey bruv, I want to make money? "He said.

territorial despite their differences, when the news of the "success" of looting in other parts of the city came to the young, who were identified as part of the same group with similar interests and the same enemies. It was decided that working together is the best way to achieve these goals.

plunder of Clapham Junction, crime seems to be meaningless, random, but as research interest group at the expense of the interests of dominant political order. "By taking things," the leader of the group of local young people, said of the protesters, "which is to correct what they see as an injustice."

Last week, the rapper from the United Kingdom and the poet Elias Genesis released an analysis of spoken word of the riot, in which he laments. "We used to cause a fuss / Now riots because" I would like to change that statement a bit. I think that those involved were not involved in the riots and looting "because", but " just because I could. "

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