Riots Continue in London and Other Cities

The world has been watching as riots spread throughout England on Monday night. Originally based in the North London neighborhood of Tottenham, violence broke out in Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham and Bristol.

According to the BBC, Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to restore order, recalling Parliament on Thursday. The Met Police, which is drafting in support from 30 other forces, says it will consider using plastic bullets. Ammunition has never been used to deal with riots in England.

Emma Thomas of VisitEngland told Travel Agent that London's disturbances have been in small pockets, away from the city center. Likewise, in the other cities, the violence was away from key tourist areas. "Hotels, attractions and restaurants are all operating normally," she added. "Transportation, including inbound flights, are all running as normal. All major tourist attractions are open and unaffected." In addition, London Olympic test events are still progressing as planned. "The beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade is taking place right now and is very much in action," Thomas said.

Sue Hillman
of It's Your London, a local tour operation in the city, described the situation as "a mix of business-as-usual and a bit nervy, depending where you live." Still, she added, "this needs to stop very soon or people will be unwilling to visit." It is worth noting that there have been no reports yet from hotels of canceled reservations or changed plans.

Unconfirmed reports are indicating that some fringe theaters (none in the popular West End) will be canceling performances tonight, and that the London Eye, normally open late, will close at 8 p.m.

VisitLondon has a list of contact details for people in the city:

Metropolitan Police
Non-emergency number: 020 7230 1212
Online general enquiries: https://secure.met.police.uk/enquiries/index.php

National Rail
www.nationalrail.co.uk
National Rail Enquiries: 08457 48 49 50
[email protected]

Transport for London
http://www.tfl.gov.uk
London Travel Information: 0843 222 1234 (24 hours a day – charges may apply)
Textphone: 020 7918 3015
Customer Relations Email: [email protected]

Britain and London Visitor Centre
[email protected]
0870 1566366

 

Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia