There can be few Londoners who are not aware of the riots that suddenly erupted after controversy surrounding the death of Mark Duggan. Although the media are doing their best to keep the public informed of what is happening in their area, your perception of events is vastly different when witnessing firsthand your local community being destroyed.
On Monday evening, I watched people mindlessly destroy the Pembury estate in Hackney, where I live – setting cars alight, destroying the local newsagents and damaging nearby buildings.
The newsagents had taken the precautionary measure of closing for business during the day to avoid damage being caused to the shop. This proved futile as by 8pm it had been looted and severely damaged as people casually waltzed in, stealing groceries as they pleased.
As I watched the events unfold through my window, I was appalled by the animalistic behaviour of a minority committed to causing as much trouble as possible for no apparent reason. An insufficient number of police were deployed to Mare Street and Clarence Road, offering futile attempts to contain the anger of a vast number of youths, the source of which remains unknown.
Pembury Estate was once plagued by crime, ranging from gun activity and drugs to robberies. I've witnessed police raids, mini-riots between youths and heavy police patrols. As a young teenager in secondary school, peers were often afraid to visit my home for fear of being attacked or robbed on the way through the estate. But anyone living here will be able to testify that over the last five years, the area has improved significantly and has become safer to walk through and live in. The local council was committed to providing funding for youth clubs and other regenerative schemes to deter young people from engaging in criminal activities, which contributed to the area improving greatly over time.
The events this week will undo years of work to regenerate the estate and restore the confidence of residents in their safety. Early on Tuesday morning, the estate resembled a desolate wasteland.
What began as a group of people rightfully seeking an explanation from the police about the death of a community member has evolved into a group of people being malignant without motive, actively destroying the communities to which they belong. People are tarnishing the memory of Duggan by committing atrocities in his name, despite his family members repeatedly imploring them to stop. They are using recent events to fulfil personal vendettas against the Metropolitan police; to steal items from shops; to commit organised crime; and to contribute to the unrest in society.
This minority of people far overshadow the many law-abiding citizens who are genuinely outraged by Duggan's death and are peacefully awaiting their owed explanation from the Met. Of course, there must be a full investigation into what happened to Duggan and appropriate action must be taken. But current events will inevitably exacerbate the already established stereotype of the majority of young individuals as "thugs" and "gangsters", especially within the black community.
It will take million of pounds to restore the damage caused in affected boroughs such as mine. It will take years to rebuild community relations and trust in authoritative bodies, which in turn will restore solidarity in my community. Unfortunately, the mental scars and the afflictions of those who have been injured, those whose homes have been destroyed and those whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by these wholly unacceptable events, may never fully heal.
By Franklyn Addo, who is 17 and lives in Pembury Estate, Hackney. Alongisde his academic pursuits in the field of sociology, he works on amalgamating visual arts, fashion and rap music. His website is franklynmusic.com