“IT’S like a war. There are so many reports of violence flooding in that the media have said they can’t keep up”. Those were the words of one Limerick woman, Caroline Carey, who found herself in the heart of the London riots, having relocated to the UK just three weeks ago. Buildings burned, civilians were injured and shops looted, in some of the worst violence the city has ever seen.
Dermot Sheehan, from Monaleen, went to London last Sunday with the intention of taking in England v Holland, but even though disappointed that the game at Wembley was called off, accepted it was the correct decision.
“I am sure if the situation was reversed that the same would have applied in Ireland. That said, I could never visualise the kind of thuggery I witnessed here happening on the other side of the Irish sea”.
Family members of the thousands of diaspora watched helplessly, as scenes of riots on the streets of London, Manchester and Birmingham were broadcast.
Innocent bystanders are being caught up in the chaos.
“I was cycling to Clapham on Monday night and two lads tried to take my bike,” Richard Hannon from Shannon, who lives in Southfields in London, told this newspaper.
“The shops were all closed, so I couldn’t even get milk or tea.
“They shut down Putney today (Tuesday) at about 3pm, and we got sent home from work early”.
Caroline Carey, who recently moved from Dooradoyle to High Barnet in North London for midwifery work, said the attacks were hard to predict.
“It’s all over the place now, so bad that residents in different areas are saying they’re ringing the police and can’t get a hold of them. Siobhan Kangataran, from Shannon, is living in Clapham, where the streets were badly hit.
“The aftermath can be seen all over the destroyed streets.
“We were sent home from work early yesterday so we wouldn’t be travelling late, and then we had a self-imposed curfew.
“Clapham was badly hit on Monday night, and while it feels calmer today (Wednesday), the streets are eerie, with buildings boarded up and broken glass everywhere”.
Lisa Toomey from Bunratty, living in Angel, said the riots seriously affected the hotel where she works, but that she intends on helping with the city’s recovery.
“It was like a war and has affected the city in many ways.
“The match at Wembley was cancelled, so we had a lot of cancellations from that.
“I’m sure over the coming days, as the police gain control and the clean up starts, the market will regain confidence”.
While police hope to control the violence with thousands deployed and curfews imposed, the toll on residents, many of whom are Irish, is immeasurable.
Picture from PA
