Friday, August 12, 2011

Tottenham Nothing Left To Lose

In the most unequal borough of the UK, young people do not riot just for the fun of it. Poverty and a lack of opportunities are the deeper causes behind the public anger that erupted in Tottenham over the weekend, argues Elly Badcock.

Tottenham MP David Lammy on Sunday said that the community has “had the heart ripped out of it” by “mindless people”. In one sense this is absolutely true: mindless politicians imposing draconian austerity measures have ripped out the heart of a community suffocated by decades of racism and social inequality.

Rioting is a high-risk activity, especially if you’re young and black. People only tend to do it as a last resort, or when they have nothing left to lose. Tottenham is a community that speaks over 300 languages and is predominantly of African-Caribbean descent – meaning its diverse community is hit hardest by racism in the job market and on the streets.

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