Video: London Rioters Loot Bleeding Boy's Backpack

Flickr User Bobaliciouslondon

Wow, the International Olympics Committee must be regretting picking London over NYC for the 2012 Olympics right about now! With the police proving themselves incapable of effectively cracking down on the rioting and looting that has swept London in recent days, organizers of the London Olympics are reviewing security measures. Today the Mayor of London assured the world that the city would be able to rebuild before the Olympics begin... in a year. Stiff upper lip and all that, old chap, what what! Here's a sad video of thugs stealing items from the backpack of a bleeding, disoriented boy:

London officials decided not to cancel a six-day beach volleyball event starting today at Horse Guards Parade, but the Times of India points out that the worst rioting took place in the Olympic borough of Hackney in East London, just a few miles from the Olympic facilities. London's deputy mayor Kit Malthouse said, "It's pretty rotten for London, it does not look good."

The situation is so bad that Prime Minister David Cameron was forced to cut his vacation in Tuscany short, and has returned to the U.K., where there will be 16,000 police officers on duty in London tonight, up from 6,000 last night, Bloomberg News reports. Cameron also recalled Parliament in order to debate the riots, and many MPs have been demanding tougher tactics to put an end to this. "This is criminality, pure and simple, and it has to be confronted and defeated," Cameron told reporters, but thus far he has refused to issue a curfew, call in the army, or permit the police to use water cannons.

Over 450 people have been arrested, and in neighborhoods across London, local politicians and private citizens have been taking to the streets to clean up the mess. London police have set up a Flickr pool featuring surveillance photos of looting suspects and rioters. But they remain undeterred—"vast amounts" of CDs, vinyl records, and other music stock at a 215,000-square-foot Sony warehouse were destroyed in a fire last night. Among the casualties: the release of the Arctic Monkey’s new single will be delayed. Okay rioters, you get a pass for that one, but now Neon Indian had to cancel their concert! Are you happy now?

For more on the rioting, here's West Indian-born British columnist and political activist Darcus Howe, who tells BBC, "I don’t call it rioting. I call it an insurrection of the masses of the people. It is happening in Syria, it is happening in Clapham, it is happening in Liverpool, it is happening in Port of Spain, Trinidad."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on August 9, 2011 3:32 PM

Comments [rss]

soothsayer

"boy" was actually a 20 yr old man. false headline.

RammyH

Yeah the rioters are political angle is crap. as usual just assholes and knuckleheads looking to score free shit and setting fires to the store they've been shopping at since they were 3 years old.

If these guys had swarmed down to Kensington or the Strand or Harrods, then maybe, just maybe I'd buy the political uprising bullshit - but this was just a smash and grab free for all.

ONE_LESS_FIXED_GEAR

Just watched the video. Those two dudes should be executed. That being said, I don't think that kid stepped off at the wrong bus stop and into that sh** storm. You wanna get an up-close look, wanna see the nitty gritty action? That's a calculated risk, man. Dumb move. Jus sayin.

ProbablyHittingOnYou

This makes me sick, this, paired along with this photo:

birdtird

(in seinfeld voice) "What is the deal with England?"

blink667

France banned the Burka; Britain should now ban the Hoodie.

soothsayer

cops from rockland, long island, and staten island are dying for something like this in order to bust young white hipsters and ghetto black thugs just for the fuck of it. police riot 2 coming soon to nyc.

ONE_LESS_FIXED_GEAR

I don't see a relevant point made here.

zombiebob

A wave of disgust, contempt and anger washed over me when I saw those piece of shit scum riffle through that kids bag. I don't know if I would rather kill the black guy who acted all helpful at first, or the white guy who swaggered off with whatever that electronic-y looking thing was. actually, I'd kill em both. The black guy for his sneak-ness, and the white guy for his arrogance. But I'd kill the arrogant guy first.

Bronxalien2013

Even growing up in the Bronx , never did I see some BS like that.

BrassMonkeyBallz

HOOLIGANS.

e non

no excuses acceptable. it's not lack of jobs; lack of opportunity; lack of educational opportunities -- this is out and out wanton theft and destruction. as one newser pointed out, many of those arrested are barely teenaged -- so the jobs angle is bullshit. and watching the looting, it's hard to see much political statement in that; not to mention the small businessmen/women now wondering how in the hell they are going to earn a living. there was too much glee and thievery involved to even suggest this was politically/economically related.

Polite New Yorker

Comparing these lowlife criminals to the people fighting for freedom in Syria is absurd.

petey2

animals and uncivilized savages.

SAVAGE

I read that as 'animals and uncivilized sausages'.

Guest

Karma is a bitch... they'll get theirs.

Militant Conformist

But not in this lifetime if you're waiting for Karma to take care of them

theevilerone

I hope to medal in looting at the 2012 Games.

jibbly

Piece of shit scum. I hope those fuckers are identified, caught, and kicked square in their piece of shit scum testicles. God damn it, this makes me so fucking mad.

edgie168

Heard one tool on the radio being interviewed, saying that they're looting from "the rich" -- "yeah, see, we're taking from the rich people, yeah? the people with stores, they got money, and we're showing them that we can do whatever we want, yeah? we ain't gonna stand back any more and we're going to take back what's ours [by looting stores]"