TMCnet Feature Free eNews Subscription
August 09, 2011

UK Looting and Rioting Continues, Sony Distribution Center Torched

By Tracey E. Schelmetic, TMCnet Contributor

While the city of London looks toward perhaps a fourth night of rioting and civil unrest and the mayor beefs up police presence to try and calm the violence, the effects are spreading beyond the British capital and to other cities.

Last night, a Sony distribution center in Enfield, in the north of England, was torched by rioters, according to Yahoo News' Digital Trends blog. Firefighters were said to be battling the huge fire at dawn this morning.

Those responsible are said to be little more than children. Witnesses recall seeing the arsonists escaping from the scene on BMX bicycles, because “they're too young to drive.”

The rioting, said to be carried out largely by very young people fueled by hysteria on social networking sites, has so far involved looting, the starting of fires and attacks on police. It has continued each evening since Saturday’s protest, and on Monday night spread to other parts of the country, including Manchester and Birmingham, reported Digital Trends.

Sony, fresh from the trauma of a large-scale hacking in the spring, has announced that the deliveries of games and movies on CD and DVD to addresses in the UK might be delayed, according to a Reuters (News - Alert) report.

Yoko Yasukochi, a Sony spokeswoman, said, “There will likely be some impact on deliveries.” She continued, “We cannot determine the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage yet because it’s not possible to enter the building.”

Witnesses say the building would appear to be a total write-off at this point. Rioting started after a peaceful protest in Tottenham, North London of the fatal shooting of a neighborhood man.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.



Tracey Schelmetic is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Tracey's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell
» More TMCnet Feature Articles
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]
SHARE THIS ARTICLE

LATEST TMCNET ARTICLES

» More TMCnet Feature Articles