UK riots spread to Manchester and Birmingham

Story from The Takeaway. Listen to audio above for full report.

“When we see children as young as 13 looting and laughing, it is clear there are things wrong with our society,” said a disgusted Prime Minister David Cameron outside 10 Downing Street this morning.

London was relatively quiet last night as an additional 10,000 police officers were deployed around the city after three nights of violence, looting, and arson. However, violence spread to other major cities including Manchester and Birmingham. Three men were killed in Birmingham when they were hit by a car in violence there.

“Look at all the kids there is here today, I seen kids younger than me, little girls younger than me, looting shops and stuff like that,” a 16-year-old at a riot in Manchester told the BBC’s Nick Ravenscroft.

When Ravenscroft asked why he was there, the young man replied: “It’s not alright … but it’s just cause everyone else is doing it.”

The riots were sparked by a police incident in the neighborhood of Tottenham last weekend, after a peaceful protest over the police shooting of a young black man turned violent.

Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone suggested that the Tottenham riot was fueled by citizens unleashing pent-up resentment over the weak economy, high unemployment rate and historically deep budget cuts that decrease funding for poor communities in the United Kingdom.

“This is the first generation since the Great Depression that have doubts about their future,” he told the BBC.

More coverage from the BBC:
> England riots: Fightback under way, says PM
> In pictures: London riots spread to cities across England

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“The Takeaway” is a national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.