A shocking, mystifying and sad couple of days. What can I say that hasn’t been said, more eloquently and with more knowledge and qualification? I don’t pretend to understand the situation, given that the English people I know are perplexed by the burning, rioting, anarchic city that London became this week. One moment the rioting seemed so localised and far away, the next there was a car set on fire in front of my friend’s house down the road, the night streets full of sirens. We were relatively out of the action here, locked away in our houses, checking Twitter constantly for updates, if the rioters were coming our way. For all the sadness and anger, there were shining moments of camaraderie, pride, bravery. That’s what I consider truly English:
The Turkish men of Dalston defend their shops and communities
Operation Cup of Tea - The English answer to everything
Restaurant staff protect diners with rolling pins
Using Twitter to mobilise a clean up operation
Photo credit: Joel Goodman/LNP
Writer, editor, coffee drinker.
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