British government officials branded rioters who fought police, looted shops and set fire to buildings at the weekend as opportunistic criminals and said the violence, the worst in London for years, would not affect preparations for next summer's Olympic Games.
Police arrested more than 160 people across London in a weekend of mayhem that started in the multi-ethnic, lower-income neighborhood of Tottenham, only a few miles from the Olympic park that will welcome millions of visitors in less than a year. The riots come at a time of deepening gloom in Britain as the pain from economic stagnation is exacerbated by deep public spending cuts and tax rises aimed at eliminating a budget deficit that peaked at more than 10 percent of GDP.
The London police force has been criticized for its handling of recent large protests against the austerity measures, and its chief and the top counter-terrorism officer recently quit over revelations in the Rupert Murdoch News Corp phone-hacking scandal.
While Britain's politicians were quick to blame petty criminals for the violence, neighborhood residents said anger at high unemployment and cuts in public services, coupled with resentment of the police, played a significant role.
For more: UK government condemns London rioters as criminals - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
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