What in the world is going on in London?

 

Violence erupted in broad daylight this afternoon as rioters surrounded police vans, looted lorries and targeted shops in a series of attacks across London.

Scores of police raced to Hackney as a mob of hooded youths began hurling missiles at the officers. There was also sporadic violence in nearby Dalston where shops and businesses were attacked and youths clashed with police and set fire to cars outside Lewisham Town Hall.

In Peckham Rye shops have been attacked, including Clarks and Primark, and buses are not currently running through Peckham and Lewisham. Other areas of London were braced for violence with workers barricading their shops in Stratford and Islington and barriers were erected outside Westfield Shopping Centre. 

  
Kilburn High Street has also been closed off and police are currently on the streets in Harlesden.
On Twitter, users posted that the violence was rapidly brimming out of control with one person tweeting he had seen 'at least 30 riot vans and three helicopters' in Hackney. Youths were seen setting fire to cars, rubbish bins, and were also spotted setting off fireworks in the direction of police.

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