by British laws virtually outlaw armed self defense with a firearm. Not only are their firearm restrictions draconian but armed self defense is quite often prosecuted as was the case of British farmer Tony Martin. Mr. Martin served almost four years for defending himself in his own home from intruders with his shotgun.
Riots which began on Saturday night and continue today have left one man dead, many homeless, and innumerable shops, pubs, and other business establishments looted and destroyed. As Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, has commented, ” Unlike L.A., there are no Korean shopkeepers with AR-15s to help contain the looting.”
With the police response under great criticism and politicians being heckled over their inability to stop the thugs, looters, and other miscreants, people are starting to take matters into their own hands with what is available.
In the sports and leisure section of Amazon’s UK site, the biggest percentage movers for the past 24 hours have been “aluminium” baseball bats. The Rucanor Aluminium Baseball Bat, Silver – 60 cm, has shown an 52,211% rise in sales. Previously, it was 8,893 on the list and now is at number 17. The number two bat is now sold out and it is unknown when it be back in stock. I wouldn’t be surprised if old cricket bats and field hockey sticks stuffed in the backs of closets or buried behind years of Christmas decorations in the basement are not suddenly being remembered and located.
Some shopkeepers are saying enough is enough especially those of Turkish and Kurdish extraction. In the Kingsland Road and Stoke Newington sections of London, the knives used to cut the meat for doner kebabs have been put to use.
Across the road, I ask another shopkeeper if what I’d heard is true, that the Turkish men in Kingsland Road and Stoke Newington were arming themselves to protect their shops, to protect their own. “Is true. Police no use, government too soft.” He frowns: “So they had knives.”
Turkish and Asian shopkeepers in the Dalston area were determined to protect their shops.
Some were seen carrying tools to protect themselves and their businesses, as police officers were scarce in the area late on Monday night.
When suspected looters were seen in the area, the shopkeepers and their families ran shouting after them up the main road, Kingsland High Street.
Jerry Keshin, who runs Jerry’s Food and Wine on Stoke Newington Road, said: “I shut early because I heard they were coming. I went down to Hoxton to get my boys and we drove back up and saw a group of about 10 rioters who were on their way into our area. We chased them into one of the estates and had it out.
“Then we came back to the corner of Shacklewell Lane to keep the area safe. A load more of them came through at about 11.40 but the whole community was out to chase them away.
His friend Aykut Boyraz said: “The community is close and we all know each other. We’re not going to have any riots around here. It doesn’t matter if you’re Turkish, if you live round here we’ll defend you.”
It is interesting that those most likely to protect their shops and livelihood are from the immigrant population. I guess they haven’t gotten used to living on the dole yet.