0:00:02 > 0:00:08This programme contains some strong language
0:00:09 > 0:00:12We are the generation that film everything. Even our crimes.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14What are you driving?
0:00:14 > 0:00:16I don't want that car.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21On films and on CCTV, they're uploaded and shared on line.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Last summer's riots were the biggest outbreak of mass criminality
0:00:29 > 0:00:31for decades.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Thousands of hours of footage were generated,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37giving us the chance to intimately experience the events
0:00:37 > 0:00:38of those four days.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42Best day ever!
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Look at her. Yeah, little girl.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50This is the story of the people who were closest to the action.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54I knew it was going to kick-off, man.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06OK, ice man.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10I was at an Iron Maiden gig because it was my birthday,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13and on the bus they said, the bus isn't going it's normal route
0:01:13 > 0:01:14because there's a riot on.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Public disorder interests me, so I got off the bus,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20got a taxi to my house,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23grabbed some beers and decided to go and film some rioting.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34There was a police line by the police station,
0:01:34 > 0:01:36I didn't have a clue what was going on behind the police line.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Before I could work out what's going on,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41that's when everyone shouted they were going to loot JD Sports.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44That was the first JD Sports to get done over.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57The guy on the bike says, "Can you look after my bike?
0:01:57 > 0:02:01"People are nicking everything, I can't leave my bike, it's not safe."
0:02:01 > 0:02:04I said, "Look, dude, given the situation, on this one occasion,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06"it's probably OK to take your bike into JD Sports.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10"I don't think you'll get into trouble for taking a bike in."
0:02:10 > 0:02:13He said, "Good idea" and just rode his bike straight in there.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21PC World was when it got a bit more serious.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25GLASS SMASHES
0:02:27 > 0:02:30I'm not sure if that's full HD, dude, it might only be 720.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32HD ready, man, doesn't mean shit.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35That was a brilliant example of the way we live now,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38because a guy came out with a big telly and he saw some other guy
0:02:38 > 0:02:41with a bigger telly and put his TV down. "I want one like that guy."
0:02:45 > 0:02:48My thought that what I was experiencing in the retail park
0:02:48 > 0:02:51was the most epic thing that could be going on that night.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53I didn't realise that half of Tottenham was on fire.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55We were kind of there thinking, "Where are the police?"
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Hundreds of people just emptying out the shops.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07Put your fucking camera down now, yeah.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Put your fucking camera down now.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Finding what people will reduce themselves to
0:03:11 > 0:03:14when they see stuff put in front of their eyes,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16that is not beyond their reach.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21No, no, no, no, we're going to run in.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Go, go, go, go...
0:03:34 > 0:03:35Drive, drive, drive, just drive.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Tell me who else was in the car with you.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Erm, my friend, Nick.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45He was driving, I was the passenger.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50No, no, no, stop, stop, just stop there.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55It was like our little bubble
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and all the stuff that was going on outside that bubble
0:03:58 > 0:04:01was like a dream, it was like a dream.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06These are streets that we'd just go to the shops and get milk
0:04:06 > 0:04:10and go and buy a pair of shoes. It was just mayhem.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14They're doing that guy, there's an Indian guy in there.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- Is he actually in there? - He's got the shutters down.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20No, he hasn't. They were half down and he couldn't close the door.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Only the people on the other side of the shop window
0:04:22 > 0:04:25seemed to be angry or worried, or upset.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30The people that were rioting, their faces just seemed...
0:04:30 > 0:04:34just excited. Nobody seemed angry or resentful about anything.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38REPORTER: The Prime Minister has confirmed he's cut his holiday short
0:04:38 > 0:04:40to hold an emergency COBRA meeting later.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42It just seemed like a massive free-for-all.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Everybody was jumping on the bandwagon.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48There was screams of laughter.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53I suppose it's like the reduced aisle in Tesco's.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Everybody hoards around it and tries to grab what they can at that point.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06If we weren't out in the car looking at what was going on,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08we were at home watching it on the news.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Reverse... Don't drop us in here.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14It was constantly in our lives.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17For those few days, it was the riots, riots, riots.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Where it was going to kick-off the next day,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22where do we go to watch what is going on?
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Left... Left, left, left.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40It's here where you live.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43You could see the fires across various areas.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Obviously, on Twitter, it was the number one trend and topic.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49On EBM, Lewisham's getting hit.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Bus on fire in Peckham. Shops getting looted in Brixton.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56It was to the BBM groups, coming through like crazy.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Suddenly, I saw it appear across the breaking news thing.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I'm getting reports that Croydon's been hit.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I thought, I live on the main road and I couldn't hear any sirens.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14I said to my mum, "I'm popping out quick."
0:06:14 > 0:06:17She was all worried saying, "Luke, where are you going?"
0:06:17 > 0:06:20I said, "Fine, I'll get in my car, I'll be back in a bit."
0:06:20 > 0:06:24I got my mate, and I said, "I've heard Croydon's getting hit."
0:06:24 > 0:06:27He was like, "OK." So we got in the car, just two of us.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31At this point, you wouldn't really have known there was a big issue.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39SIREN WAILS
0:06:39 > 0:06:42AUTOMATED VOICE: This bus is under attack, please dial 999.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44I thought it was a simple, quick attack.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47That somebody had just thrown a few bricks
0:06:47 > 0:06:49and it was screaming for help, the bus.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51'Please dial 999.'
0:06:51 > 0:06:55So, I just made a quick video of that thing.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58I thought if somebody's attacking buses, it might get
0:06:58 > 0:07:00even more stupid, really.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02And, it did.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Explain to me how you were filming it?
0:07:06 > 0:07:08I was riding my bike and holding my camera
0:07:08 > 0:07:10and trying to get the best footage I can.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I went around buildings.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15When I came back, it was already on fire.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36That smoke, I think, attracted most of the people there.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38And, that's when they started gathering there.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Yeah, what's that? Where's that?
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Even though it's not thing you can see,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51it just looked like adrenalin and their blood was pumping so much.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53It just looked like their eyes were just lit up,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56like they were so in the moment of what's happening, I think.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58I think that's what everyone was feeling at the time,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00it was just a buzz.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05I'm seeing a lot of smiles around here and I don't get it.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I can't connect the dots.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15There was a serious disconnect, you know, because I'm seeing
0:08:15 > 0:08:19all of this turmoil going on, a lot of damage to property,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21a lot of livelihoods just going down the drain.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23But, I'm seeing smiles.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24It was just confusing.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35I'm in the midst of it.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38People have to leave their houses, their houses are getting burnt down.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40People's houses are on fire.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41Fucking hell!
0:08:45 > 0:08:46How long have you lived in Croydon?
0:08:46 > 0:08:4711 years now.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51I've never had any kind of problems,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53never been mugged, never been broken into.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56From my experience, Croydon's a pretty good place to live.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00We've got everyone, we've literally got everyone.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03That's what I like about Croydon, the diversity.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07SHOUTING AND SWEARING
0:09:11 > 0:09:14There are people trapped upstairs in the house.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15Why aren't the police doing anything?
0:09:15 > 0:09:17What can they do? You know...
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Most people filmed what was happening in front of them.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Tell me why you decided to film YOURSELF as the action unfolded.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28And even though there are people's houses on fire,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31they're still throwing bottles like it just doesn't matter.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34For a lot of people it's not real to them until they see
0:09:34 > 0:09:37a recognisable face and they can connect the dots.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39It's important for people to get into the thick of it
0:09:39 > 0:09:41and see what's really going on.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43'It made it so much more real, that it was literally
0:09:43 > 0:09:46'at the top of my road.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48'For that reason, I felt as if it involved me,'
0:09:48 > 0:09:52as much as I probably didn't want to be involved in it,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55I was pulled in.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57This little girl now.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59This little girl thinks she's going to get involved.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02She just looked so young. She was kind of egging the rest of them on.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05There was this little girl egging on these big guys,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09saying, "Come on, we've got to get into the shop. We've got to get in."
0:10:09 > 0:10:10Look at her.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Look at her.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Yeah, the little girl.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Her...
0:10:16 > 0:10:19She was so motivated and determined to break in.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24She had one of those glass hammers that you usually find on buses.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I swear it's like I can hear my heart breaking.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35I can hear Croydon's heart breaking.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38All right, so I'm going to call you Mr A. Yeah?
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- The reason is...- Right, so Mr A.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44What's the reason, what's going on?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Many of us can't get paid, no jobs out there!
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- What the fuck! Money is money, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53- Fuck it, money for a different country.- You know like that?
0:10:53 > 0:10:54Explain your situation to me?
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- My situation, they need to fucking give me my passport.- Yeah?
0:10:57 > 0:11:00He's been in this country for X amount of years,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and he can't get a job, they won't give him back his passport,
0:11:03 > 0:11:04that kind of thing.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05Why are you angry? What's going on?
0:11:05 > 0:11:08I've been here, fucking, since nine years old.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I'm now a big man, they try to send me back home. What's that?
0:11:11 > 0:11:16He felt like he'd been mistreated by the government.
0:11:16 > 0:11:17Fuck this country, bro.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21And after you spoke to him, what did he then go off and do?
0:11:21 > 0:11:23He joined the rest of them and started looting.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28I don't know if I should go in, cos it's a crime scene now, but erm...
0:11:28 > 0:11:32I'm going to take you inside Lidl, just to have a look in here.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35'The store was just torn apart. It was unrecognisable.'
0:11:35 > 0:11:37This is my local Lidl, yeah?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40'They were stealing alcohol, that was the main thing.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43'The food and that kind of thing was still there, left untouched.'
0:11:43 > 0:11:45And loads of the booze and the alcohol,
0:11:45 > 0:11:46everything was just ransacked.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49I'm going to get myself out of here. It's a little dangerous.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Has anyone got a bottle opener?
0:11:51 > 0:11:56Wow. This young lady just asked for a bottle opener.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'The irony. You take what you value,'
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and a lot of people took what they thought would keep the party going.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Seriously, man, guys...
0:12:04 > 0:12:07It could almost be looked at as a kind of street party, I guess,
0:12:07 > 0:12:08in a funny sort of way.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Complain about jobs and money and stuff and you steal alcohol.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Doesn't make sense to me.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17But I'm not in their situation, so...
0:12:17 > 0:12:19I'll try and find out a little bit more.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Tell me where you're from.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22I'm originally from Poland.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26You know, from someone that comes from Poland,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30what did you make of these riots here?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33I don't even know what was it all about, really, you know.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34It was, you know...
0:12:36 > 0:12:40I saw stupidity and anger, to make a statement.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42What is that statement?
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Well, the statement is, well,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47that they don't want to be managed that way.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50They don't like the way that system works.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53They feel overall injustice.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Who's willing to talk to me for a few secs?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Everyone wants to be involved but nobody wants to talk.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Everyone wants to keep their mouth shut.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06They don't necessarily relate why they are doing it
0:13:06 > 0:13:09to what they are doing.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Dude, I'm going to call you Dude A, all right? And you're Dude B.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Catford, looted out Catford, Lewisham, moving at different ends,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18just doing this, innit? Proper down to the shops,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- getting all the fucking TVs... - What's the reason for you doing this?
0:13:21 > 0:13:23They shot that dude in North London.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Tried to say he shot them first but tests proved, rude boy, yeah?
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Tests proved that the bullet was not fired from his gun.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30OK, so that's your reason for joining this anarchy, yeah?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Electrical, electrical shop!
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Just hear the noise. This is people's houses.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41People's houses, local businesses. I'm going to try and stop this.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44This is literally on my doorstep. It's literally on my doorstep.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47'To know that people have strived to build up a business,'
0:13:47 > 0:13:51and in five minutes or so, a group of people can just tear
0:13:51 > 0:13:53it down and that person may not have insurance.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56That person may not have anything else to go over to.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01Look at these guys. These guys are trying to smash into the shop. Him.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02This guy here in the green.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Yeah? This guy here in the green behind me, yeah?
0:14:05 > 0:14:06I just didn't want it to continue.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09You know, the little bit that my voice can be heard,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I don't know, I just, I don't even know if it's making a difference.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Oh, shit, this building's on fire here.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Oh yeah, like get it from the inside.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19What is wrong with people?
0:14:19 > 0:14:23And your footage captures that first moment of the fire.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25I think it was just a split-second decision
0:14:25 > 0:14:29where someone just thought, "That's it." Brick through the window, petrol bomb,
0:14:29 > 0:14:30whatever it was, in. That was it.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I cannot... This building is...
0:14:33 > 0:14:37I've never seen nothing like this in my life, ever.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42This is... Jesus Christ, this is absolutely crazy.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54I can't believe that. I'm in shock. I was going to buy a sofa from there.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Feel the heat, right?
0:14:59 > 0:15:00But I want to be over there.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03'At this point, no-one was really doing much else'
0:15:03 > 0:15:05in terms of looting and stuff.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09I think everyone was so amazed at the size of this, what someone had done,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12that everyone stopped what they were doing at this point
0:15:12 > 0:15:16and kind of thought, "Wow. Is this happening?"
0:15:23 > 0:15:25'Who's that other voice on your footage?'
0:15:25 > 0:15:28That's a guy called Nick, who I met that night.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35He was trying to steer me towards certain things
0:15:35 > 0:15:37and tell me how we were going to interview different people.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40I just went along with it cos it was quite funny.
0:15:40 > 0:15:41The Carpetright building was on fire,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44and while I was filming you can even hear him saying,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47"You've got to capture the emotion, get the emotion of this woman."
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I was like, "Dude, her house is on fire!"
0:16:00 > 0:16:03'She doesn't even know if everybody she knows is alive,'
0:16:03 > 0:16:06the last thing she needs is me with a camera in her face,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08like, "Let's see your emotion," you know?
0:16:08 > 0:16:10So I politely declined that one.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13'Haven't really stayed in touch.'
0:16:13 > 0:16:15We're friends on Facebook.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18'We went and chatted to a policeman afterwards.'
0:16:18 > 0:16:19What's happening up there?
0:16:19 > 0:16:24We were just in the Tottenham business park, there's looting and shit.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- Yeah.- Do you guys know about that?
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Really?
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Operation Do Absolutely Nothing was going particularly well for them so they stuck with it.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39There are lots of officers down there
0:16:39 > 0:16:41going by Tottenham police station
0:16:41 > 0:16:44because there it's a matter of protecting life.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- Yeah.- Life takes priority over property, I suppose.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53You said you'd grown up here.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Did you know any of them, recognise any of them?
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Later on in the night, after a couple of hours, after things were set alight and stuff,
0:17:00 > 0:17:06a boy who I knew came up to me and went, "You all right? I just got this guitar from one of the shops."
0:17:06 > 0:17:09He was like, "I'm just going back to my house to drop off the guitar."
0:17:09 > 0:17:14He's the same age as me, used to be in the same class as me. So...yeah.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Why didn't you join in?
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Because, definitely, I've been brought up much better than that to do that kind of stuff.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26The career I want to go into doesn't condone that kind of act.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29People should think ahead and think of the consequences of what will happen.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Think about that split-second decision to just run into a shop and get something.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39And you talked about the future career you want to go into - what's that?
0:17:39 > 0:17:42When I'm out and about generally and kind of see some stuff,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I think, "If only I was a police officer in this situation."
0:17:45 > 0:17:46SIRENS WAIL
0:17:46 > 0:17:48'I want to make an individual difference.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51'I'm not doing that particular path at the moment,'
0:17:51 > 0:17:56but it's definitely in the future something that I would probably aim towards.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00I just heard the police issuing some instructions or suggesting,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04"What about if we do this, what about if we do that?"
0:18:04 > 0:18:08So clearly they're not equipped to deal with this kind of situation.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10I'm not a great fan of the police.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14I don't think they handle every situation the best way they can.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17But they were incredibly brave.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22They left their families to come and protect what they could
0:18:22 > 0:18:23and I respect that.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47If you watch her, it's all most like she's transfixed by what's going on.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Yeah, she was, cos she said to me,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51"Mum, I'd never seen nothing like that.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53"I just couldn't believe what people were doing that day."
0:18:53 > 0:18:58She just said she was listening to that man talking to the police.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01He actually didn't do nothing to the police,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05he was just being angry with them for how he'd been treated or something.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16CLOCK TICKS
0:19:16 > 0:19:19We went up to town, I think it was about quarter past two.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25We'd gone in New Look, we came out, went to Greggs,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and, being a teenager, she said, "Mum, leave me up town."
0:19:28 > 0:19:31I said, "Right," just in case anything did happen,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33"I'll pick you up half four, five o'clock by the Hogshead."
0:19:33 > 0:19:35You fucking people are next.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Then, I think it was about four o'clock, Danielle's ringing me in tears,
0:19:38 > 0:19:40saying everything had kicked off uptown.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42SHARP CRACK
0:19:42 > 0:19:44- PEOPLE SCREAMING - Gunshot!
0:19:44 > 0:19:46'And fireworks were going off.'
0:19:53 > 0:19:56She was crying on the phone to me, saying, "It's horrible.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00"There's police falling in front of my feet, there's bottles being thrown at me."
0:20:00 > 0:20:02GLASS SMASHING
0:20:02 > 0:20:05'So she had to run.'
0:20:05 > 0:20:09And then she went down Queen Street, and that's where it happened.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11She had bumped into an old friend from school
0:20:11 > 0:20:14she hadn't seen for ages and they were walking down Queen Street
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and she just picked these gloves up and put them on her hands,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19and just walked about.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28She saw everyone going into this, I think it was, Zap Clothing, menswear?
0:20:28 > 0:20:32And she said, "I just went in to be curious."
0:20:40 > 0:20:44She goes to turn round and the shutter falls.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49Everyone's going mad in there, so she says, "Mum, I just pick up two odd trainers off the floor,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52"ready to throw in case someone attacks me."
0:20:52 > 0:20:56This man comes past her, lifts the shutter up and says, "Come on, let's go."
0:20:56 > 0:20:58She says, "I just walk out, and then I think,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00"I have trainers in my hands."
0:21:00 > 0:21:02So you see her throw one and just drop the other
0:21:02 > 0:21:04and then the gloves come off.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08This was the day after.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Everyone kept texting her saying, "Danielle, you're in the paper."
0:21:11 > 0:21:15"Who is the girl wearing the big black gloves?"
0:21:15 > 0:21:18More or less, "If you know this girl, phone this number."
0:21:18 > 0:21:20And she said, "I don't believe this, Mum.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23"They're making out to be something I'm not."
0:21:24 > 0:21:27How did you feel when you saw that picture on the newspaper?
0:21:27 > 0:21:30I said to Danielle, the first thing I said was,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34"That was the wrong thing to do, Danielle.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36"With what was going on uptown that day,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39"people are going to see it completely different."
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Out of her own choice, she said,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44"I'm going to go down to the local police station to explain myself."
0:21:44 > 0:21:48They said, "That's fine, we can see you're doing no harm,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50"we're after the more serious criminals."
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Then early the next morning, they raided my house.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55A dozen of them.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Knocking at my door at quarter to two. They got Danielle...
0:21:59 > 0:22:00PHONE RINGS
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It's all right. It's fine, it's fine.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Do you what to see who it is?
0:22:06 > 0:22:10- It's Danielle.- Oh. That's all right. - Oh, I think she's gone off.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- That means she's going to ring. Is that all right?- Yeah. It's fine.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17They went and searched Danielle's room
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and then they came in and handcuffed my daughter.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23I said, "Is there any need to handcuff her?" They said, "It's for our safety."
0:22:25 > 0:22:30- What was she finally sentenced with? - Ten months. Ten months.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Well, I was really mad in court.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37I stood up and I told the judge, "That's totally unfair. You're ruining a young girl's life."
0:22:37 > 0:22:40She thought she'd go the way of the RAF.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43It's all gone
0:22:43 > 0:22:46because there's no way she'll get in the RAF with a criminal record.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48PHONE RINGS
0:22:48 > 0:22:52That's her. Yeah, it is. Hello? Hello, bub.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Oh, now, if you want. I've just got the BBC here filming me.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Danielle said hello.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08I'm coming to see you tomorrow. I've got you some more jammies and that.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Will they let me take it through? Yeah?
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Another flannel and another towel? All right, then.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17They've given me a list on how many leggings I could send in.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19I think you got your limit there.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22All right, then, bub. Ta-ra, love you.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Bye.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- How do you find those calls?- Hard.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Yeah.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40I feel lost.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44I keep looking for her and expecting her to come down the stairs.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Yeah. And it's... It's horrible.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Everyone makes mistakes in their lives, I don't care who they are.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57That's teenagers, isn't it?
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Well said, well said.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09She was filming it.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- She was filming it as well? - She filmed it, yeah.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15ALL LAUGH
0:24:15 > 0:24:19She's got all that on her phone but the police took her phone
0:24:19 > 0:24:21when they actually raided my house that night.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- And you've not got it back?- No. And they never used that in evidence.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27And that's on contract. So I'm paying for that.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31That's what they all do nowadays. Everything's on camera, isn't it?
0:24:31 > 0:24:33They like to film things that are going on.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00They started charging at them.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Oh, my God.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07- See what I meant about the power thing?- I know.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- So was that filmed from this building as well?- Yes.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Every time I watch this, my blood boils up.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- Makes you angry when you see that? - It does.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33I was sleeping -
0:25:33 > 0:25:37my parents were here to spend their vacation with me -
0:25:37 > 0:25:39and my dad woke me up. It was Ramadan, we were fasting.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43So I was sleeping, and he woke me up, and he was like, "Look what's happening outside."
0:25:49 > 0:25:51And I could see everyone running around
0:25:51 > 0:25:55and I could see the looters actually running around with stuff as well.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58I took the camera and started shooting the footage from the balcony.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12You know, the funny thing is, just one night before the riots start
0:26:12 > 0:26:16taking place in Barking, he's walking outside with my mum late at night
0:26:16 > 0:26:19and he's like, "You see, it's so peaceful and calm here."
0:26:27 > 0:26:30We are on the 15th floor, it's a high-rise building.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33The rioters were right inside JD Sports.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38The JD Sports is right next to the police station.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44And people were actually standing on the stairway of the police station.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58- Were you scared?- Scared? No. Why would I be scared?
0:26:58 > 0:27:03These things don't scare me. I've seen worse.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22We have a Facebook page for residents living in this building.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I actually posted on that page saying, "Please,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27"if someone tries to get inside the building,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30"you guys can call me any time and I'll be more than happy
0:27:30 > 0:27:33"to come downstairs and take care of everything."
0:27:33 > 0:27:35How did you feel about that, Sarrah?
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Oh, he's just trying to be Superman, isn't he?
0:27:37 > 0:27:40At that time, we were planning for our wedding
0:27:40 > 0:27:42and then all of a sudden he messages me,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45he's like, "Oh, the rioters are outside, I want to do something about it."
0:27:45 > 0:27:48I was like, "Are you stupid? You stay indoors and you stay safe."
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I was actually getting texts from other people saying,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53"Oh, so finally you feel like you're back home."
0:27:53 > 0:27:56I was like, "This is sad, you shouldn't be saying things like that."
0:27:56 > 0:27:58How would this compare with a riot in Pakistan?
0:27:58 > 0:28:03In Pakistan, we usually have riots relating to a specific issue,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05probably hunger or politics
0:28:05 > 0:28:09or different political parties rallying for some specific issue,
0:28:09 > 0:28:10things like that.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14The last major riot that we had was when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.
0:28:14 > 0:28:20When riots happen, Pakistan people do not actually start looting stores.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23For the Muslim community, although not a relief,
0:28:23 > 0:28:24it was somewhat of a...
0:28:24 > 0:28:29I can't find the word, but we were demonised for so many years.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33- Oh, that's different.- You shouldn't actually be saying that about...
0:28:34 > 0:28:36No, I mean...
0:28:36 > 0:28:39I can see what you're saying because there must have been,
0:28:39 > 0:28:40"Oh great, it wasn't us!"
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Yeah, it wasn't us. We're not the ones being victimised or pinpointed.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47There was a sense of that around through friends and family
0:28:47 > 0:28:49and things like that, so it was there.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01The image that sticks in my head is where you see
0:29:01 > 0:29:05an adolescent boy casually packing in everything he's actually...
0:29:05 > 0:29:08It's like he has all the time in the world.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17You see this guy with a camera
0:29:17 > 0:29:20and he's trying to take, I think, some journalistic photos,
0:29:20 > 0:29:21and you can see him
0:29:21 > 0:29:24with his bravado coming up and trying to intimidate the guy
0:29:24 > 0:29:26into deleting these scenes.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34I should have done something.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38I mean, someone has to take the first step.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41But if civilians start taking things into their own hands,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43it makes the police obsolete.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45They should be taking care of things properly.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48That's true, but, still, if you're standing there,
0:29:48 > 0:29:52it's your duty as a human being to stop this from happening.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58There were some people that weren't looting.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01They were just standing there and they were enjoying watching it.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08'I knew it was going to kick off, man.'
0:30:08 > 0:30:10All right.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14I took the second day off and then the third day, yeah,
0:30:14 > 0:30:15I decided to go and check out Mare Street.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17What did you do on your day off?
0:30:17 > 0:30:19I don't know. I think I watched it on telly.
0:30:24 > 0:30:25It was a different kind of motive.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28It wasn't just about being able to loot stuff.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30I heard a lot of guys saying Hackney should have been first,
0:30:30 > 0:30:32as if it was a matter of national pride.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36They wanted to really put Hackney on the map by smashing it up.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Then some people just started throwing some stuff.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45LOUD BANG
0:30:46 > 0:30:48A policeman got knocked out with a brick.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Is he OK?
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Take my picture in front of them.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14In front of the Feds, in front of the Feds.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23The tactics of the police, they'd sort of secure us at one place
0:31:23 > 0:31:24and then everyone would go,
0:31:24 > 0:31:28"Oh, there's a police car over there. I'll just smash that."
0:31:34 > 0:31:37I remember likening it to that kind of toilet roll you get at school.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39It doesn't actually clean anything up.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41It just kind of spreads it around and makes more of a mess.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43That's what the riot policing was.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51I heard one guy try to start a chant of,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53"No postcode beef, it's all on the police,"
0:31:53 > 0:31:55meaning all the different Hackney gangs
0:31:55 > 0:31:58could put aside their differences for the day.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Did you have any sympathy for them?
0:32:02 > 0:32:04For the police?
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Not especially. It's their job, isn't it?
0:32:12 > 0:32:18# We're all in it together We're all in it together... #
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Remember what David said.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23I couldn't find a pub to stop and get a quick drink in,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25so I just decided to call it quits
0:32:25 > 0:32:27and go back and watch the coverage on TV again.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Our streets, our streets!
0:32:46 > 0:32:49I'm at the focal point of where violence is happening.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55It felt as close as I'd ever been to a war zone.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Best day ever!
0:33:07 > 0:33:10This is Hackney for ya!
0:33:15 > 0:33:17There was this one woman.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19She had a bandana on her face.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21She was repeatedly lighting Molotov cocktails
0:33:21 > 0:33:25and throwing them at the police like she was in Baghdad or something.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34So surreal, considering they're in the middle of London,
0:33:34 > 0:33:36in the middle of a civilised society,
0:33:36 > 0:33:40and you're seeing people doing that kind of thing.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43- Do you think there was any political motive?- Absolutely none.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Opportunistic would be the word.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49As soon as five or six of them are doing it,
0:33:49 > 0:33:54that increases to a mob in a second and then strength in numbers
0:33:54 > 0:33:56and they're just doing whatever they want.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02I mean, the most shocking thing I saw
0:34:02 > 0:34:06with my own eyes was the convenience store.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11There were kids committing an act of robbery over
0:34:11 > 0:34:15four bottles of J20 orange juice,
0:34:15 > 0:34:17and they were walking out
0:34:17 > 0:34:20as if they'd robbed a De Beer's diamond jewellers or something.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35- How long have you had this shop? - 11 years.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38- And where are you from originally? - Sri Lanka.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45We have an electric shutter on the shop front
0:34:45 > 0:34:48and everything is always shut properly.
0:34:48 > 0:34:49We'd just left the shop.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53I went home and the BBC and SKY
0:34:53 > 0:34:57shows us the shop was broken in.
0:34:57 > 0:34:58I was so shocked.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02How did you feel when you were sitting at home,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05watching YOUR shop being broken into on national news?
0:35:05 > 0:35:08I'm busy, though. You can't say that horrifying moment, you know.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11I would just...moan and crying. I just would.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15And, you know, it's all happened, and then now, to call the police,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17but I have to wait for 15 minutes to get on.
0:35:17 > 0:35:18So then they say, you know,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21"Due to the high demand, you have to go to the local police station."
0:35:21 > 0:35:24And I went Waltham Forest, and there was a poster there -
0:35:24 > 0:35:27"Due to the high demand, police station was closed.
0:35:27 > 0:35:28"And go to the next police station."
0:35:30 > 0:35:31Had they taken much?
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Yes, everything.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35You should ask what they left for us.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38And I lost £90,000.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41I didn't do anything bad to them, so if they done to me,
0:35:41 > 0:35:43they got lied to them.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46I'm not a policeman or judge to give justice.
0:35:46 > 0:35:47I believe karma, you know.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Whatever you do, you know, that will come to you one day.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Why did you start shouting?
0:36:06 > 0:36:10I actually started shouting because I saw all these cars on fire,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12and bikes and...
0:36:13 > 0:36:16..bins upside down. And people were taking pictures.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19I said, "Do you think this is something to take a picture of?"
0:36:29 > 0:36:31You know, "Is this really what it's about for you guys?
0:36:31 > 0:36:35"You know, taking pictures of burning vehicles and rubbish?
0:36:35 > 0:36:38"You know, isn't anyone going to do anything about this?"
0:36:40 > 0:36:42I think I got described as a "parasite"
0:36:42 > 0:36:43by somebody from filming this.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45"You are a parasite!"
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Instead of filming, I should just stop and single-handedly,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50like, arrest everyone myself and just put a stop
0:36:50 > 0:36:52to this whole thing instead of
0:36:52 > 0:36:54picking at the bones of the carcass of London.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57- 'The fucking, car, man.'- 'Yeah.'
0:36:58 > 0:37:00'That makes five.'
0:37:00 > 0:37:01Look at that!
0:37:01 > 0:37:04You're burning your neighbour's car!
0:37:04 > 0:37:06This guy says, "Oh, what's the problem? Shut up old woman!
0:37:06 > 0:37:09"They've got insurance, haven't they?"
0:37:09 > 0:37:10Well, that was it.
0:37:10 > 0:37:11Then I...
0:37:11 > 0:37:14I mean, how can you justify burning someone's car by saying,
0:37:14 > 0:37:15"Oh, well, they get insurance."
0:37:15 > 0:37:17This is the fucking reality!
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Lower the fucking burning of property!
0:37:19 > 0:37:21Lower burning people's shop
0:37:21 > 0:37:24that they work hard to start their business!
0:37:24 > 0:37:25D'you understand?
0:37:25 > 0:37:26Pour out the fucking shop, then.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29She's working hard to make her business work,
0:37:29 > 0:37:31and then you lot want to go and burn it up.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34For what? Just to say that you're worried and you're Bang Man.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35The gentleman who filmed me,
0:37:35 > 0:37:39he possibly caught the last couple of minutes...
0:37:39 > 0:37:41SHE LAUGHS
0:37:41 > 0:37:45..of it, which, thank God, he didn't catch any more!
0:37:45 > 0:37:46I can imagine you going for a while.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48I went on for a while.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51I mean, my friend had crossed over the road and lit a cigarette.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54It's like, "Oh, it's going to be a long one. She's on one again."
0:37:54 > 0:37:57This is about a fucking man who got shot in Tottenham!
0:37:57 > 0:38:00This ain't about having fun on a riot and busting up the place.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Get it real, black people! Get real!
0:38:02 > 0:38:04- ..In the middle. - Do it for a cause.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08If we're fighting for a cause, let's fight for a fucking cause!
0:38:08 > 0:38:11You know, you're all going on like you're big and bad.
0:38:11 > 0:38:12What's big and bad about it?
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Because, you know, you're bandanad up,
0:38:14 > 0:38:16you're balaclavad up, you know.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19There's nothing bad about doing something and running away from it.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20You know, be a man!
0:38:20 > 0:38:22'You lot piss me the fuck off!
0:38:22 > 0:38:24I'm shamed to be a Hackney person.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Cos we're not all gathering together and fighting for a cause.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31We're running out of Footlocker.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37This here is where the big moment took place.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Hello!
0:38:39 > 0:38:42How you doing, friend? Bless.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44It was about here.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49It's now known as Lady P's wall, which is quite funny,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52but people actually come here now and take pictures, apparently.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Did you see the Hackney heroine?
0:38:59 > 0:39:00Yeah, I saw her on YouTube.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02I didn't see her in real life, though.
0:39:02 > 0:39:03She was heroic.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06In these days, anything could happen to her.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09You just don't know these days how people react.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11- Hi, there.- Hi.- All right?
0:39:13 > 0:39:16I would have applauded her if I was there.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19I mean, someone had to say something!
0:39:19 > 0:39:23I appreciate what you're doing. You have to speak your mind in this situation, you know.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26- Need a lot more people like you around.- Ah, bless you.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29- Clown around the place, you know what I'm saying?- Yeah.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32The lady with the stick!
0:39:32 > 0:39:34That's what I'm known as!
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Just "the woman with a stick"!
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Anyway, take care of yourself.- All right, darling. Bless, bless. Love.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41One love!
0:39:41 > 0:39:43- Life must have changed quite a bit...- My life has changed...
0:39:43 > 0:39:45..since going viral.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Was I viral?! That sounds painful!
0:39:47 > 0:39:49How does it feel, going viral?
0:39:49 > 0:39:54It's surreal, it's overwhelming, it's strange, it's unbelievable.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55I mean...
0:39:55 > 0:39:59I still can't believe that me giving them a mouthful
0:39:59 > 0:40:01has led to so much attention.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09And this is the Pembury Estate.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13I mean, come on! Look at where these people are living!
0:40:13 > 0:40:15It's not the most colourful of areas.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17It's not the most picturesque.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19You've got the estate there, and then opposite,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21you've got some rather nice old Victorian houses.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Victorian houses, which very posh people live in.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Just cross the road, and you've got a different lifestyle altogether.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30It's amazing.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Kind of distressing, as well.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38There are a lot more affluent areas in London.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41These kids who live in Hackney, it didn't really make sense to me.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44If I had to get inside their brain
0:40:44 > 0:40:47and sort of logically do what they were doing,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50I would probably go to a much more affluent part of London
0:40:50 > 0:40:54and do it there rather than destroy my own neighbourhood.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08This is just a little report out of one of the local papers.
0:41:10 > 0:41:11"A semi-professional footballer,
0:41:11 > 0:41:15"who looted a shop in Sloane Square during the riots, has been caged."
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Like he's an animal.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21"Talented Mario Quiassaca, 18,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24"who plays for Staines in the Conference South League,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26"was part of a 60-strong mob
0:41:26 > 0:41:29"who rampaged through the area of August 8th.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32"He kicked in the windows of Hugo Boss,
0:41:32 > 0:41:38"helping himself to clothes worth £1,133.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41"Earlier on in the evening, he had been at the youth club
0:41:41 > 0:41:43"and met up with some friends from the estate.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47"He was sentenced to 30 months in a young offenders' institute
0:41:47 > 0:41:50"after admitting burglary and violent disorder.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53"His friend, Charlie Burton, 18,
0:41:53 > 0:41:57"admitted violent disorder and received the same sentence.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01"He said he joined in after seeing the Croydon riot on TV."
0:42:11 > 0:42:12That night was very strange.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15It was really eerie, the streets.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19The police told all the shopkeepers to close their shops early,
0:42:19 > 0:42:20which they did.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22But there was just a funny atmosphere.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24It was like...
0:42:24 > 0:42:25ghost town.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28But then, apparently, youths gathered,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31and they went up to Sloane Square.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Describe Sloane Square to me.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42Sloane Square is where I would say all the posh shops are.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein,
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Peter Jones. Lots of expensive shops.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Charlie worked for highway maintenance.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57That week, he had a week off work.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59He went to football training that evening.
0:42:59 > 0:43:04He came home about 9:30, quarter to 10,
0:43:04 > 0:43:06and he said, "I'm just going to my friend's."
0:43:06 > 0:43:10And he came back about half an hour, 40 minutes later.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13And he said, "Mum, I've done something stupid.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15"I've gone out," he said.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18"I see a group of youths. I followed them.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20"I realised what I was doing, and I turned back," he said.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23"I pushed a bin," he said,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25"and I'm really, really sorry."
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Then, on Thursday the 11th,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32that's when they came with the warrant to my house.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36It was eight o'clock in the morning.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38I just heard "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
0:43:38 > 0:43:42They came in like the American SWAT team.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46They pinned him to the bed, asking him, "where's the PS3?"
0:43:46 > 0:43:48They searched my premises, they found nothing,
0:43:48 > 0:43:52and they said they HAD to take him in for questioning
0:43:52 > 0:43:54because his name was put forward.
0:43:54 > 0:43:59That was it, and from the day they came, they never brought him back.
0:43:59 > 0:44:00He never came back.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03So, were he and Mario good friends?
0:44:03 > 0:44:05Very good friends, from young.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09What do you think was going through their heads at the time?
0:44:09 > 0:44:14I think these kids have just seen, like, "Wow, free stuff! Let's go!"
0:44:14 > 0:44:18This is all I can imagine, seeing all the clips I've seen on TV.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22I don't think anybody was thinking about the consequences.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25I just think they just see all these people going into shops
0:44:25 > 0:44:27and everybody went.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32Mario did steal over £1,000 worth of clothes.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34With Mario, I can't answer that.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Like I said, heat of the moment.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46And what area were you involved in?
0:44:46 > 0:44:49Southwest London area...
0:44:49 > 0:44:50I was involved in.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53Why will you only be interviewed anonymously?
0:44:54 > 0:44:58Because...this riot stuff is very touchy
0:44:58 > 0:45:00and I don't want to... I'm not going to incriminate myself.
0:45:00 > 0:45:05Ask me a specific... Get straight to the meat and bones of the argument. What are you asking me, then?
0:45:05 > 0:45:10- What-what...- What was your involvement with where you were? Why did you go there?
0:45:10 > 0:45:13To give the police a boshing. That's what we went there for.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16We went there to give the police a boshing.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20Can you tell me what area it was?
0:45:20 > 0:45:22Erm... It was...
0:45:27 > 0:45:31..Sloane Square. That's the area it was. Sloane Square.
0:45:34 > 0:45:40You have absolutely piss-poor people living across the road from
0:45:40 > 0:45:44not only the richest people in London,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47but in some cases, the richest people in the world.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51All the ex-politician. Margaret Thatcher lives there.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55Saudi royalty and all of that have flats over there and all of that.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01That's the police over there, staying at arm's distance.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Somebody needs new windows.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07It was definitely the younger generation
0:46:07 > 0:46:12with one or two older members who were using the cover of the crowd
0:46:12 > 0:46:14and directing them towards shops.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19- And so were you involved? - I can't answer that question...
0:46:19 > 0:46:20specifically.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24But I had a good observation point.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28I had a very good observation point where I could see, erm,
0:46:28 > 0:46:32quite a lot of detail what was going on.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Lots of them got arrested.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38One of them's just 18 and one of them's just coming to 18.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40They were stupid.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43They thought that it would make sense to plead guilty.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48They were young and inexperienced at dealing with the police.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52We spoke to someone anonymously.
0:46:52 > 0:46:58This guy seemed to know Mario and Charlie,
0:46:58 > 0:47:03and he said that they were stupid because they pleaded guilty.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07I'm not saying what anyone did that night was right but
0:47:07 > 0:47:09it's so easy to be led off.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14If you recognised him, how would you feel?
0:47:14 > 0:47:17Angry. Frustrated.
0:47:17 > 0:47:22He's a coward to let these youths take the rap for everyone and everything,
0:47:22 > 0:47:27knowing they didn't take a serious part in what happened in Sloane Square.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33- Do you feel any guilt, generally, seeing this?- I didn't participate...
0:47:33 > 0:47:37- I know, but do you... - Obviously, I can't feel sorry for a capitalistic company
0:47:37 > 0:47:41cos it doesn't feel sorry for the person down at the bottom that it's squeezing.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45I can't see Hugo Boss suffering any lasting damage
0:47:45 > 0:47:49but I can see Mark Duggan's family suffering lasting damage.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52I'm a warrior, I'm a scholar, that's who I am.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54And all I can say to the young guys is...
0:47:54 > 0:47:57stick together, mate, we'll get through this.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07That's Currys. It's not amazing footage.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13'If the police charge...'
0:48:17 > 0:48:19This was pretty early on, innit?
0:48:19 > 0:48:20Yeah...
0:48:35 > 0:48:39I remember a lot of BB statuses being changed.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42I remember a little broadcast coming through,
0:48:42 > 0:48:45so we jumped in the car and as we were in the car,
0:48:45 > 0:48:48I saw pictures of what was happening at Currys.
0:48:48 > 0:48:53By the time we got there, it was just literally one order.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56And when I say one order, I mean one order was being shouted out.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02There was a weird sense of harmony,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05like no problems, no quarrels between each other.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08Obviously, it's chaos cos there's a riot going on,
0:49:08 > 0:49:11but it wasn't chaotic, frantic, stepping over, stamping each other,
0:49:11 > 0:49:14people getting hurt in the process. It weren't like that.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16ALARMS AND SHOUTING
0:49:16 > 0:49:19It was a united front. People from different estates.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23It was just basically, "We've got an objective, let's get it done."
0:49:23 > 0:49:27And everyone was just helping each other do it. That's what I saw.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29ALARMS CONTINUE
0:49:30 > 0:49:33What do you think was going through the heads of the guys
0:49:33 > 0:49:34doing it at Currys?
0:49:37 > 0:49:38Financial gain.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40Definitely.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43So, greed.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47I wouldn't say greed. I would say hunger.
0:49:48 > 0:49:54I don't mean hunger in a sense that they're hungry, belly rumbling. I mean like pockets rumbling.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58Shops like Currys seemed to be a popular venue for looting.
0:49:58 > 0:50:03But if you had a chance to go somewhere you get everything free, where would you go, innit?
0:50:03 > 0:50:06Currys would be a main spot still.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Different electronic shops and whatnot.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11But there weren't many bookshops being looted.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13HE LAUGHS
0:50:16 > 0:50:20I would doubt there would be a lot of bookshops getting looted!
0:50:20 > 0:50:24I'm pretty sure WH Smith was unscratched. I'm pretty sure!
0:50:24 > 0:50:27Ah! Do you know what it is?
0:50:27 > 0:50:29Obviously, I could understand why,
0:50:29 > 0:50:32because we're in the generation where not a lot of people's reading.
0:50:35 > 0:50:40Have you heard stories about, people even trying on clothes before they stole them?
0:50:40 > 0:50:44I have heard different stories about different people making sure
0:50:44 > 0:50:47they get the right weave and these different things, but obviously,
0:50:47 > 0:50:50if you got that opportunity, you might as well get the right one, I suppose.
0:50:50 > 0:50:55That's what they're thinking. There's point going home and it don't fit, innit? So, yeah.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58Oh, my God!
0:50:59 > 0:51:03Trainers were also very popular. Why is it important to have a good pair of trainers?
0:51:03 > 0:51:07Why is it important?! Cos a pair... It says a lot.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10I can literally tell you, you get to a point where,
0:51:10 > 0:51:12when I was younger, if I was approaching a girl,
0:51:12 > 0:51:16I'd go over to her and look at her face and then at her trainers.
0:51:16 > 0:51:21The trainers that you couldn't afford, that day you could afford it.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23And I can't be a hypocrite.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26A few years back, I would've got more than trainers.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28That's just me being real.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32We share one Father, we share one Christ, we share one Spirit!
0:51:32 > 0:51:33- ALL:- Amen.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37I'm a Pentecostal Christian so I'm a born-again believer.
0:51:37 > 0:51:42- And this is why you and I can gel. - Mm-hm. Amen. Amen.- Amen?
0:51:42 > 0:51:45'If it wasn't for the fear of God in my life,'
0:51:45 > 0:51:48literally, on my moral compass to tell me, "That's wrong,"
0:51:48 > 0:51:51I would've do to have got involved and not just been a spectator.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Because I come from a very terrible...
0:51:53 > 0:51:56'I would've probably been the first one shouting out one order.'
0:51:56 > 0:51:59Otherwise... And that's just me being real, innit?
0:51:59 > 0:52:04In God's family there is no upper class or working class or middle class.
0:52:04 > 0:52:05'We all the same!'
0:52:07 > 0:52:10- Were you ever in a gang? - Was I ever in a gang?
0:52:10 > 0:52:13HE LAUGHS Yeah, I was in a gang.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15I was in a gang.
0:52:17 > 0:52:22And why did you join it? What was attractive about it?
0:52:22 > 0:52:25I'm in a gang now...
0:52:25 > 0:52:26if you're getting me.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30God's family is a different family from every other family.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34'Obviously, it's not the same sort of gang, we ain't got the same sort of purpose
0:52:34 > 0:52:39but a gang is a team, innit, sort of thing? It's a circle of close-knitted friends that have a common goal
0:52:39 > 0:52:42to do something like Sugar Hill and the gang and what-not.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44Because you know that you can't buy peace...
0:52:44 > 0:52:48'Got to a point where it was a dog-eat-dog world
0:52:48 > 0:52:52'and the dogs that was playing in the parks that I played in'
0:52:52 > 0:52:55barked a different sort of way so...
0:52:55 > 0:52:58I kinda started barking along that tune, too.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00DOGS BARKING
0:53:04 > 0:53:08What kind of reputation does this estate have?
0:53:08 > 0:53:10'The reputation wasn't a nice one.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13'I remember there was a tabloid that read that
0:53:13 > 0:53:17'even the devil's scared to walk through Myatts Field Estate.'
0:53:18 > 0:53:24Myatts Field is the original name. Either "fields" or "Baghdad"
0:53:24 > 0:53:26or "The Dads".
0:53:26 > 0:53:29- Yeah, it's got different names, innit?- Why Baghdad?
0:53:29 > 0:53:34Baghdads. It's a risky place to be and so is here, innit? So...
0:53:36 > 0:53:41'The dark side of the street culture. That's how I like to sum it up, basically.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44'I saw a lot.'
0:53:44 > 0:53:46I saw a lot. Most I can't say.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50Despite your new-found religion,
0:53:50 > 0:53:54were you still not a little bit tempted while watching the scene at Currys?
0:53:54 > 0:53:57I weren't tempted to get involved at Currys, not at all.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59What did kinda...
0:54:00 > 0:54:05..sway some emotions was when I saw the initial riot in North London
0:54:05 > 0:54:08and they were going directly against the police.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11SHOUTING
0:54:11 > 0:54:14I was thinking, "Oh," cos I've been a victim of police brutality myself,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17but by God's grace, I've been able to forgive and whatnot.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21- SCREAMS AND SHOUTS - Scum, scum, scum!
0:54:25 > 0:54:28I know that to the public is a proper crazy sight,
0:54:28 > 0:54:32but the things that people live with is more shocking.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34Like I went to go bury my friend the other day.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38Then someone else ended up getting shot dead at the funeral.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41And that happened, what, a few metres away from myself.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45To be honest, I don't really care about a riot, if I'm going to be real with you.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54Did you miss it when it had finished?
0:54:55 > 0:54:57I suppose I did.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00It was just, like, "Oh, back to normality now."
0:55:00 > 0:55:04What do we now with our spare hours of the day?
0:55:04 > 0:55:07I did miss it.
0:55:07 > 0:55:12It was upsetting to watch but it was so interesting...so interesting.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16And I'm not just saying this for Charlie,
0:55:16 > 0:55:19but a lot of these kids do not need to be in prison.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22You know, when they come out, what is there for them?
0:55:22 > 0:55:26Prison's not the answer. You're just going to make a angrier society.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30Do you think there'll be more riots?
0:55:30 > 0:55:34There will be riots, obviously. Look at the whole planet. The whole planet's rioting.
0:55:34 > 0:55:39And next time, you're going to be involved, mate, and your cameramen, and your little Miss over there,
0:55:39 > 0:55:42because you'll realise you got mugged off when you go to the bank one day
0:55:42 > 0:55:45and you try and put your card and the bank says, "Oh, sorry,
0:55:45 > 0:55:49"all of the notes, there's nothing to back these notes. All the gold's gone."
0:55:49 > 0:55:52You're going to be rioting too when you realise what's happened.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59Now, this buzzer going off could be just a neighbour...
0:55:59 > 0:56:02Going the way it's going, it's probably another film crew!
0:56:02 > 0:56:07Or it could be, I'm now having people turn up at my home.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11This is the danger side of it for me, I don't know who's ever out there,
0:56:11 > 0:56:14and the buzzer's actually working, which is good. Hello?
0:56:15 > 0:56:17Ah. My carer.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20This is like a place of pilgrimage.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23- Let's go and see the Hackney heroine!- Well, they do.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28Even if YouTube didn't exist, I would still take a camera with me,
0:56:28 > 0:56:30just so that I could see it again.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34I doubt I'll ever see anything like that in London again.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37POLICE SIREN
0:56:37 > 0:56:40- HE LAUGHS - Speaking too soon, yeah!
0:56:44 > 0:56:47Everyone's got an opinion on young people and crime.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49To make sure your voice is heard
0:56:49 > 0:56:52and to find out more about the issues, go to...
0:56:54 > 0:56:56..and follow the links to the Open University.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd