The Daily Mail this morning has suggested Twitter may be to blame for violent riots in Tottenham, North London:
Predictably we're not told whose "fears" these are. It's no doubt a case of journalistic licence. And presumably The Mail considers its own images of burning vehicles to be less controversial than those posted and retweeted "more than 100 times" on Twitter.
Further down the article any doubts that Twitter's was a mere bit-part in the violence have vanished altogether from the Mail's mind as it is a declared a full blown "Twitter riot" in one of the image captions:
I bet they wouldn't have know about it if it wasn't for twitter though.
Posted by: Ben Osu | Aug 07, 2011 at 11:56
Dear England People. Please DO NOT BURN the RED BUSSES.
Find some of those ugly French cars instead, okay?
I want to come to England and hope to see lots of the Red Busses rolling around. Also, please do not riot in the fall as that is the time I wish to visit.
Hope you understand,
Posted by: Idaho Dave | Aug 07, 2011 at 14:21
Yea absolutely right above comment, wasn't on the news or exactly visible from your window was it?
Posted by: anon | Aug 07, 2011 at 15:19
It's about time the people start to rise against corrupt western government!
Posted by: celebs4truthcom | Aug 07, 2011 at 16:15
last nights riot in north london dont b fast to blame the people who rioted if it was ur son that had been shot dead what would u say ? rember Jean Charles de Menezes lies lies lies
Posted by: why lie | Aug 07, 2011 at 16:25
What about: "youths storm McDonald's and start cooking their own food". Sounds like the Onion was covering this riot as well.
Posted by: Preston | Aug 07, 2011 at 17:05
Are you going to be equally as mocking of the BBC reporting the same thing?
Posted by: . | Aug 07, 2011 at 21:53
Are people forgetting he was involved in serious gang violence and was carrying a loaded gun. It's ok for gang members to go around shooting and stabbing each other but now the Police are involved the man becomes innocent in all he was involved in?!
The Police was doing their job, in an obviously volatile community. And they are still out there despite the dangers. Stop supporting the wrong people.
Posted by: Mrs G | Aug 08, 2011 at 06:28
The kids are on Blackberry Messenger anyway, not Twitter.
Sky News reporter this morning said "anarchists looted this jewellers". I don't think those scumbags would know a political ideology if it bit them.
Posted by: Eoghan O'Neill | Aug 08, 2011 at 09:34
@Mrs G he was not into serious gang violence. He was not a major criminal. I believe we should wait until the IPCC releases the full report before we pass any judgement on him because at the moment what is being told can only be described as gossip.
At first we were told he shot at a police man and the bullet lodged in the officers radio and that he was then shot two times in retaliation. Now we are being told the bullet found in the officers radio was police issued which means he was shot by one of his peers and that Mark Duggan did not shoot at the officer. That in itself I believe means we should not pass judgement until we have all the facts... though personally I am leaning towards the thought that Mark Duggan was killed unlawfully.
Posted by: Redz | Aug 09, 2011 at 23:39
It’s a shame to see people placing blame on Twitter. The main use of Twitter during the riots was to organise clean-up operations for some of the areas of the UK worst hit last week. The debate will go on I’m sure. It seems this is beginning to become the norm to place the blame upon social media.
Sophie Hobson, Deputy Editor of LondonLovesBusiness
Posted by: Sophie Hobson | Aug 17, 2011 at 13:56