Solidarity in London
Britons are shocked by the wave of violence in the United Kingdom. And just as protesters are calling for demonstrations online, they are mobilizing via the internet to help affected businesses. From London, a report by Diego Iraheta.
The chaotic scenes yesterday in Hackney, a neighborhood in southeast London, did not discourage residents from taking to the streets to help shopkeepers affected by the attacks. As part of the #riotcleanup campaign, launched online, Britons are gathering at locations where there has been unrest in recent days to "clean up the mess" left by groups of vandals in the UK capital. The evident reinforcement of police in Hackney contributes to the (at least temporary) feeling of security in the area.
But the #riotcleanup volunteers couldn't do anything for Sivaecaran Kandiah's establishment. The typical off-license (convenience store) in London was completely ransacked. The rioters vandalized the interior of the store, broke computers and stole dozens of items. Without insurance for the business, he estimates losses of £30 – the equivalent of R$78. "I lost everything I had and everything I worked for in my life over the last ten years," says the Sri Lankan-born shopkeeper.
Among those responsible for the destruction are residents of the Hackney community. “Some of them were my neighbors; we saw them going into the store and taking whatever was available. It was disgusting,” unemployed Hulya Arslam told Brasil 247. Between cigarettes fueled by anxiety, she was trying to prepare for Tuesday's ordeal: sorting out the paperwork for her car insurance. The vehicle was set on fire in front of her house last night.
Early this morning, criminals also tried to break into popular stores in Hackney, such as Primark and O2. But it was the smaller establishments that suffered the most damage. Elderly caregiver Jill Rathwell can't understand the acts of gratuitous violence on the streets of London. "Yesterday I saw a lot of people going up and down here [in Hackney]... It's pure chaos. They use weapons and masks," she says.