Erstellt am: 9. 8. 2011 - 14:28 Uhr

Fighting the fires of London

Reality Check: London riots spread to new areas, Turkey takes up diplomatic efforts with Syria, reaction in Manhattan to US downgrade

Last night in areas of London affected by the violence, residents locked their doors and stayed in. Out on the streets there were basically three sets of people: rioters, the police and journalists trying to cover the stories of the violence & looting.

Let’s take the journalists first: Our correspondent in London, Olly Barrett told me: if you as a journalist go into a street where riots are taking place you are likely to become a target. Your camera will be smashed and you will likely endure a beating. TV networks are sending in their people with bodyguards and they have large insurance policies to cover damage to equipment should their expensive satellite vans go up in flames. Radio reporters and citizen journalists don’t tend to have that luxury and have to keep their wits about them in case they end up surrounded by a gang of kids with bricks in their hands.

The police are being heavily criticized for being unable to provide support to key areas suffering looting and violent behavior. It’s interesting to note that police budgets have been severely cutback because of the UK government’s austerity measures. According to the report, "2011: the start of a great decade for criminals?" the British public will face a greater risk of crime because the government has decided to cut its contribution to police funding by 20% over the next four years. The Police Federation claims the cuts will cost up to 40,000 officers their jobs. So are the austerity measures responsible for the lack of control.

Then there are the rioters themselves. There’s an interesting quote in the Guardian newspaper today from Lara Oyedele of the Odu-Dua housing association, who lives in Tottenham, North London, scene of the initial outbreaks of violence at the weekend. Looking at why this is happening, she says: the looting doesn't surprise me: it's entertainment, something to keep young people busy. It's not right, but those are the facts. Simply, if they had to go to work this morning they wouldn't have been rioting last night. They're disaffected, unhappy and upset, and they are looking at the likes of me, saying: you need to give me something, I need a job, I need you to help me.

Will Syria make a complete turnaround?

Turkey is sending its Foreign Minister to Damascus to call for an end to the crackdown on anti-government protesters. At the same time, Saudia Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain have recalled their ambassadors - but will diplomatic pressure have any effect on the regime? Elizabeth Alcock discusses the impact of the diplomatic efforts with international security expert, Paul Rogers.

Mood in the USA as the markets fall

People from central Manhattan explain what the falling markets mean for them.

FM4 Reality Check

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