Lefteris Pitarakis
The riots that have encased the poor neighborhoods of London for three days spread to six new parts of the city late Monday night as Prime Minister David Cameron announced he would cut short his August vacation and return Tuesday. Protesters smashed windows and set cars aflame in the neighborhoods of Hackney, Lewisham, Clapham, Peckham, Croydon, and Woolwich, as well as the city of Birmingham. The riots erupted Saturday night in Tottenham after police shot and killed a gang member, but many have said the upheaval can be blamed on the austerity measures that have effectively crippled police. Even more troubling for London’s police is that the rioting has taken place near the site of the 2012 Olympic Games, which had been labeled as a boon to impoverished neighborhoods. The riots are considered the worst social upheaval in Britain since 1985.