A vigil has taken place in memory of Mark Duggan, and at least one more is planned. So far since the inquest returned its verdict there has been little in the way of violence, but that could change. There are times when I feel like moralising, but right now I am inclined to reflect on a few basic facts.
Greater London has a huge problem with crime, and in particular with violent crime. It is therefore only to be expected that the Metropolitan Police will on occasions put armed police on the streets. It is also to be expected that occasionally they will shoot a suspect, perhaps fatally.
When a fatal shooting takes place, it is only to be expected that there will be an outcry, and possibly even rioting. This is perhaps especially likely to happen when the victim of the fatal shooting is a drug-dealing gangster with lots of friends (not necessarily also drug dealers).
A trail of logic leads us from the existence of a criminal underworld to the August riots of 2011. The criminal underworld is still very much with us, and so there is no reason to think that there will not be more riots in the future. Maybe a member of your family will be among those killed in the next riots. Maybe you will have your photograph taken while jumping from the first floor window of a burning building.
You could of course make it clear to the government that you expect them to tackle the criminal underworld with serious policies, and you could do that by joining a political party with sensible policies. But will you?
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