Southall, London (August 10, 2011): Following a series of violence, arson and rioting in London, the Sikhs of Southall volunteered to stood as guards at various city Gurudwaras. As per reports as many as 200 to 300 Sikhs of mixed age groups gathered in various Gurudwaras across Southall to safeguard their place of worship from rioters.
As the police was struggling to take control of the situation, many properties in London and various other cities across the England were destroyed by fire caused by rioters.
The step taken by the Sikhs of Southall has attracted mixed reaction from media and the society. Some say that it is the duty of the police to take control of situation and civilians efforts may be a cause of social clashes, while others primarily disagree with this view and see it as a step forward by civilians to fulfill their duty to contribute positively to the restoration of normality.
It is notable that widespread rioting has occurred in England following the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old man in Tottenham, Mark Duggan, by officers of the Metropolitan Police Service on 4 August 2011.
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