August Riots broadcast One - BBC Panorama

Who do the reporters interview?
The first person they interview was one of the Mark Duggan protesters who recalled what they were doing, when they were making there way to Tottenham Police station, stating that they were doing it peacefully with signs rather then violence. Although they talked about how the young male involved in protest got frustrated and began to lose it. He mentions the people in the Middle East and the rebels and hero and how we go there and arm them but here they're 'Mindless thugs' and how we see the hypocrisy but the world cannot. He also mentions, is it democracy when the police can kill your kids on the street and don't even go to your home to account for it.

Barbra and Omar, they were victims of the Carpet Store burning which destroyed their home when it was set alight. They talked about waking up at 1 am and said about the commotion outside, Omar looked out side and saw the extent of the riots. They mentioned calling the police, who Oscar stated they didn't help while Barbra was given instructions to try be safe and that's all. Barbra attempted to calm the rioters down by asking them to behave through the window, but they ignored her. Her second attempt did catch some of the rioters attention however they stuck their middle finger up at her and laughed. Omar talks about how a youth who didn't live in the building knocked on their door and said that the building has been set on fire and that they need to leave although he misinterpreted that the youth wanted them out so they can get into their own flat and how no one came to their rescue and they were 'abandoned by the emergency services' and how 'They were under sieged and they were out to murder us'. Also victims was Trevor Reeves who owned the store 'Reeves' which had stood there since Queen Victoria days, spoke about how he was forced to watch the furniture store burn while emergency services couldn't help, and how he phoned his brother stating 'They're burning the shop Graham, they're burning the shop', and how 'in your heart you just know that it's gone and they're nothing you can do about it'. Moris Reeves stated that he wants 'Schools, police and most of all politicians to do something'. Maurine Reeves stated 'When I was in school, if we picked up a rock and threw it at a police man, we'd be put in jail, we'd be prisoners, they're was no hesitations we were marched off'.

Thirdly they interviewed David Lammy MP, who straight away stated 'I condemn categorically anything that harms any human beings, I condemn something that drives people from their homes with burning buildings with children in their arms, I grew up in this constituity, I grew up poor, I grew up without a father but I also grew up with pride and understanding the difference between right and wrong and this is wrong'. Fourthly they interviewed Nigel Sterling who stated 'They have a riot in Tottenham, Hackney wants to have one', talking about how "we have brought up this generation believing that what ever someone else has got we have to have it". Next they interviewed Iain Duncan Smith MP, who said that 'These riots are not like the riots in the 80's, these were intensely criminal activity' They talked about how the burning buildings and violence against the police was a cover up so that they could do criminal activity.

They briefly report a rioter who stated 'We're getting our taxes back, UK taxes innit'.

Bendor Grosvenor talking about where the action was taking place and that they were three riot vans with riot police and about five or six police cars parked up on the left, and he asked the riot police why they're up here doing nothing when they're causing chaos down there and the police stated they've been ordered to withdraw because 'of protection of life was more important then protection of property'.

Paul Mckeever, Chairman of Police Federation of England and Wales talked about how the tactics of the police are clearly going to be reviewed how ever let not forget about the bravery of individual police officers who had been out there doing there job, he then states how ever what ever we do 'We're going to be damned if we do and damned if we don't'.

Amy Weston who captured the iconic photograph of the woman forced to jump out the window of her burning flat, recalls the story of how people were screaming "Someone stills in there" and how the riot police and a small group was shouting "Jump!".

They interviewed Mehmut Gumus and he talked about how the rioters were coming towards the other of the street to loot the remaining shops however they took control and fought back something known as 'community policing', defending their property. He stated that he's not against the police and didn't 'take the law' into their own hands but simply worked with it.

Boris Johnson was talking to a youth who spoke about the youths that're looting and he also talked to Boris about how they're constantly cutting and that people wanted to go to university how ever can't due to the high fees.

Tariq Jahan spoke to the press about losing his son and stated 'I lost my son, blacks, asians, white we all live in the same community why do we have to kill one another, what's starting these riots and what's escalating, why are we doing this? I lost my son, step forward if you want to lose your sons otherwise calm down and go home please'.

What images are used in the broadcast? What does this suggest about representation of the riots?

The picture of the Carpetright store is often used to show it burning to represent how tragic the fires were and backed up this case by interviewing some of the victims of the fire who have being forced out of their homes by the rioters. As well as the picture of the woman jumping out the window with flames behind her, they use this to represent the riots as destructible as this woman who they reported only integrated from Poland only a few month previous is forced to jump out the window for her life into the arms of the riot police and bystanders.


Is the broadcast biased?

Yes because in the interviews, they're often Government MP's, Law enforcement, victims or witnesses who talk about how bad the looters are and even some of Mark Duggan marchers state that the 'Young black males got frustrated' again backing up that it was just 'young adults' and 'black males' who carried out the London riots. They also include clips of the of the london riots which some of the rioters talking about polish people through ethnicity discrimination suggesting that they might be some connection with immigration but this is ignored.

Are youths given a fair voice?

No, only one youth was interviewed and that was simply one of the rioters however they show footage of a younger male who challenged Mayor Boris Johnson about the London riots and mentioned a few possible subjects such as raised University fee's which could of contributed to the London riots. However only the young male was a positive youth voice and the rest of the interviewers were MP's, victims or witness to some of the violence.