Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Riots hit Peckham
Share:
by Beaulieu | August 8, 2011 at 12:44 pm
631 views | 3 Recommendations | 3 comments
I am reporting from Peckham.
My friend and I had a warning that something may happen as shopkeepers started closing and supermarkets, such as Morrisons, were barricaded. The owner of a internet cafe was very worried. Some newsagents kept open as long as possible.
Much of the Peckham community were talking on mobile phones on the streets and speaking to strangers. There was a strange edgy atmosphere. We didn't know whether to stay home or get out of town, but we realised that no other town seemed safe either. We thought that we may have to stay at a hotel elsewhere for safety. We prepared our dinner but only my friend managed to eat his. I ate mine at 9pm when it was quieter and my tea went cold.
I was unable to find information on Twitter as the site wouldn't load properly which was really annoying, so I was very reliant on my family at home who kept me posted on what building caught fire and people out on the street. We could see smoke from a shop in the main road from the flat not far from the main road. This made me try and pack my bags and leave but we decided it was safer at home. It got quite scary as small crowds of young people started to congregate along Peckham Rye Lane, either to watch what was going on or perhaps even take part. Not long after, vehicles and a bus was set on fire. I saw parents looting with their children, carrying beer , and running guiltily into the side streets..
Male looters carried strange items such as toilet rolls and dog food.
Gun shot type sounds were heard in Peckham, and throughout the evening sirens were heard. The police have closed parts of the streets. I saw young males with scarves walk past the house. Old ladies stood in the street worrying if they would be able to sleep at night. A woman said her relative was a policeman who had to come from Liverpool to attend the London Riots. She said there is a possibility that the riots in Peckham may go on all night. We were shocked there was no response from Cameron. One person I am holed up in Peckham said that it was quiet outside on the road next to the flat and said ' the mob is watching the telly seeing the bad stuff they did'. A man who worked in a school said that kids may brag about what they did at school and then get caught by the police. Update: 2230 hours. No sirens in Peckham, much quieter. Cameron returning to London. It also turns out that if we stayed in a hotel, we would have gone to Croydon!
Advertisement
NowPublic on Facebook
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
at 02:16 on August 9th, 2011
The next day - many shops are still closed. Tesco Metro by Peckham Rye Lane has been boarded up and inside looks like a mess. The police have cordoned off the road, but allowing the odd fire engine on a emergency call to still go through.
Atmosphere somewhat subdued, and people are gathering around to talk. Hardly any male teenagers around.
at 02:37 on August 9th, 2011
Let's hope that's the end of it, maybe they have enough consumer goods now and they will go underground. It's just unbelievable what's happened here in the UK.
at 02:03 on August 10th, 2011
The shops closed early, even the computer shop I went to was closed though they said the computer will be fixed in three hours.
More police in Peckham than before, part of the road still cordoned off because of the the lingerie store that got burned out. It looks like it was residential too unfortunately. We had a look round the back and it looked like a blackened out shell.
Last night we heard more sirens, and it was so many, that I got dressed ready to go out! I am not sure exactly what happened, but the next morning it it was fine.
I doubt the feral teenagers will go back to Peckham now, once the police are there and people will be wanting to take photographs and video footage of people who looted, so they will be more vigilent.
Yesterday there was a Riot Clean up Campaign which started at Peckham Library. By the time I got wind of the tweet, it was too late, a lot of the clearing up had been done other than replacing the windows.
It has a been a very surreal few days, quite unbelieveable. I do think that some young people have let themselves down, they have only themselves to blame. Not all are like that, but they look like they have severe anger management problems.
I think it would be helpful if Blackberry messages would all be traceable, that way the police can keep track of the situation more.
Yesterday morning Ed Miliband (Labour) turned up with Harriet Harman, it was good of them to come. They were mobbed and Ed Miliband seemed very popular with motorists shouting "Ed! Ed!". He was very tall, could hardly see Harriet in the crush. He was also very touchy feely and kept touching to people's shoulders. . He seemed far more at ease than Harriet in the crush. They didn't appear to visit any of the damage which was odd. As far as I could see they just walked from Peckham Library to across the road, and spoke to a few people, though it was no noisy with the mob round him, that I am not sure he could even hear the people he was speaking too. I felt he was there a short time, for 'spin' but I presume he just didn't have that much time anyway either. I heard about him coming to Peckham because of one of this tweets and I alerted a few shopkeepers.
I have uploaded some Youtube video coverage on my moniker 'beaulieuonnp'.