FROM LONDON AND PROUD

Rukayah Sarumi

11th August 2011
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London is the beacon city for diversity. We celebrate young and old and welcome cultures from all over the globe. It is this London that won Britain’s Olympic bid, this London that bounced back in the face of 7/7, and it is this London that will continue to thrive in the face of the recent spate of devastating riots.

Over the past few days we have been served an abundance of reaction to the disorder, including the responses of Prime Minister David Cameron and Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. We have also heard much speculation to the riots’ causes, including the possible role that social media has played in their organisation. Within all the commentary however it is becoming apparent that an essential element is missing – a celebration of the rapid and collective organisation of London’s citizens to reclaim and rebuild our city.

In less than 72 hours over 83,000 people have followed the Twitter account for the London clean-up. PLMR, a proud South London business, is based only a mile from where the riots occurred at Clapham Junction and this week PLMR staff joined hundreds of other Londoners to go out on the streets with our brooms in defiant courage against the rioters.

Over the next few months, London has a number of challenges to face. We must find ways to fully engage our young people, ensure our emergency services have the appropriate support and perhaps consider ways to further empower communities and local government. However, as affirmed by PLMR’s MD Kevin Craig in a recent appearance on Al Jazeera News, London is a fine city and this truth must never be forgotten.