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| 'It's not vigilantism, it was self-defence': how communities stood up to rioters | 'It's not vigilantism, it was self-defence': how communities stood up to rioters |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| As rioting spread across the country last August, some people took to the streets to defend their communities from the violence and destruction. Reading the Riots interviewed some of those involved in Dalston and Hackney in east London, and Handsworth in Birmingham. | As rioting spread across the country last August, some people took to the streets to defend their communities from the violence and destruction. Reading the Riots interviewed some of those involved in Dalston and Hackney in east London, and Handsworth in Birmingham. |
| There were widespread fears at the time that those who took to the streets might provoke an escalation in violence. But the interviewees defended their actions and disputed the label "vigilante", saying they were there simply to protect their communities. | There were widespread fears at the time that those who took to the streets might provoke an escalation in violence. But the interviewees defended their actions and disputed the label "vigilante", saying they were there simply to protect their communities. |
| "I'm a business owner," said a 28-year-old restaurateur in Hackney. Fearing that local shops might be targeted, he said, "people pulled the shutters down. [We were] standing in front of our businesses and saying: look, we are here. If you are going to be attacking us, the police aren't around so we have to protect ourselves. It's not vigilantism. It was just for self-defence reasons." | "I'm a business owner," said a 28-year-old restaurateur in Hackney. Fearing that local shops might be targeted, he said, "people pulled the shutters down. [We were] standing in front of our businesses and saying: look, we are here. If you are going to be attacking us, the police aren't around so we have to protect ourselves. It's not vigilantism. It was just for self-defence reasons." |
| A 28-year-old Kurdish estate agent in Dalston said: "I don't think anybody considered just sitting in and watching while your business was getting burned down. It wasn't just me standing here protecting my business, it was the whole community. Nobody talked about helping each other, it just happened." | A 28-year-old Kurdish estate agent in Dalston said: "I don't think anybody considered just sitting in and watching while your business was getting burned down. It wasn't just me standing here protecting my business, it was the whole community. Nobody talked about helping each other, it just happened." |
| In an echo of the ways the rioters communicated, many of those involved in defending their communities came out on the streets as a result of word of mouth and social media messages. | In an echo of the ways the rioters communicated, many of those involved in defending their communities came out on the streets as a result of word of mouth and social media messages. |
| The owner of an electrical goods shop in Handsworth – one of the first businesses in the area to be looted – said he had heard rumours a day before the riot took place. "The riot was taking place in Birmingham city centre while we were at home. | The owner of an electrical goods shop in Handsworth – one of the first businesses in the area to be looted – said he had heard rumours a day before the riot took place. "The riot was taking place in Birmingham city centre while we were at home. |
| "We saw it on the news and then we heard it was coming towards Soho Road, so we made our way towards our showroom. By the time we got [there] it was a mess." | "We saw it on the news and then we heard it was coming towards Soho Road, so we made our way towards our showroom. By the time we got [there] it was a mess." |
| For some there was also a religious and cultural element. Many in the Sikh community said their defence of their own and others' places of worship was an illustration of their commitment to seva, a belief in selfless service. | For some there was also a religious and cultural element. Many in the Sikh community said their defence of their own and others' places of worship was an illustration of their commitment to seva, a belief in selfless service. |
| "We offered our support to the Muslim community. They had Ramadan, and while they were in their religious thing we thought: OK, we'll protect their mosques," said a councillor in Birmingham. "One of our principles is to protect the needy people and to protect yourself as well. We are not [just] helping a group or a section of the community, we are proud we are helping the whole [of] humanity." | "We offered our support to the Muslim community. They had Ramadan, and while they were in their religious thing we thought: OK, we'll protect their mosques," said a councillor in Birmingham. "One of our principles is to protect the needy people and to protect yourself as well. We are not [just] helping a group or a section of the community, we are proud we are helping the whole [of] humanity." |
| For others it was as simple as not wanting to see their local community destroyed. After witnessing damage to Wolverhampton town centre and receiving messages from family and friends whose businesses had been targeted, a 24-year-old community worker decided to protect his local gurdwara, despite not being a member of the Sikh faith. "For me it was about wanting where I work to be safe, and wanting Wolverhampton to be safe," he said. | For others it was as simple as not wanting to see their local community destroyed. After witnessing damage to Wolverhampton town centre and receiving messages from family and friends whose businesses had been targeted, a 24-year-old community worker decided to protect his local gurdwara, despite not being a member of the Sikh faith. "For me it was about wanting where I work to be safe, and wanting Wolverhampton to be safe," he said. |
| "It was about not wanting people to go inside and scare the community, not wanting the building to be damaged – trying to show the presence to stop rioters." | "It was about not wanting people to go inside and scare the community, not wanting the building to be damaged – trying to show the presence to stop rioters." |
| Many said they felt they had no choice but to protect their homes, businesses and communities as the police were overwhelmed and outnumbered. The perceived failures of the police caused frustration and anger. | Many said they felt they had no choice but to protect their homes, businesses and communities as the police were overwhelmed and outnumbered. The perceived failures of the police caused frustration and anger. |
| The owner of a looted electronics shop guarded his store until the early hours. He said the police "were trying to tell us to go away from here, don't protect your own place. So we told the police we are going to protect our own place. We said we aren't going to fight, we just want to protect our own place … there was no other choice, the police didn't do anything." | The owner of a looted electronics shop guarded his store until the early hours. He said the police "were trying to tell us to go away from here, don't protect your own place. So we told the police we are going to protect our own place. We said we aren't going to fight, we just want to protect our own place … there was no other choice, the police didn't do anything." |
| Others were clear that they would have used violence if necessary. "The atmosphere was electric," said an unemployed 51-year-old who was guarding his friend's cafe in Hackney. | Others were clear that they would have used violence if necessary. "The atmosphere was electric," said an unemployed 51-year-old who was guarding his friend's cafe in Hackney. |
| "It was like: this is our property, we'll defend our property until the death. And they would have. I'm not saying it lightly, I'm just saying someone would have got seriously, seriously hurt if [the rioters] had come back after they'd been chased away. 100% on my heart, they would have got hurt." | "It was like: this is our property, we'll defend our property until the death. And they would have. I'm not saying it lightly, I'm just saying someone would have got seriously, seriously hurt if [the rioters] had come back after they'd been chased away. 100% on my heart, they would have got hurt." |
| Despite the controversy about "vigilantism" and, in Dalston, concerns about perceived attempts by the media to create "a black and Turkish people's war", most people told researchers they felt positive about how their actions had been portrayed. | Despite the controversy about "vigilantism" and, in Dalston, concerns about perceived attempts by the media to create "a black and Turkish people's war", most people told researchers they felt positive about how their actions had been portrayed. |
| "The next day we was like heroes," said a 23-year-old manager of an off-licence in Dalston. "They were loving us, they were getting us Turkish delights and stuff. It was nice, it felt good." | "The next day we was like heroes," said a 23-year-old manager of an off-licence in Dalston. "They were loving us, they were getting us Turkish delights and stuff. It was nice, it felt good." |
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