Riots Hit North London After Police Shooting

 　　Residents in a north London community compared their neighborhood to a bomb site Sunday, the day after violent riots broke out between angry citizens and the police. At least 26 people were injured in the riots and more than 40 people were arrested.

　　The streets of Tottenham in North London Sunday were strewn with burned out cars, smoking buildings, and empty shops. Politicians and the police have condemned¹ the riots.

　　David Lammy, a member of parliament, said, "The vast majority of people in Tottenham reject what has happened here last night. A community that was already hurting has now had the heart ripped out of it.”

　　Two police officers were still in hospital care. The demonstration² was triggered by the death Thursday of a man named Mark Duggan. The 29-year-old, who was travelling in a taxi, was shot dead by police after an exchange of gunfire. On Saturday the local community gathered for a peaceful demonstration to mark his death. But it soon turned violent with rioters torching police cars and a city bus, and ransacking³ local businesses.

　　It took riot police hours to bring the situation under control. Many local residents expressed their anger over what the rioters had done.

　　"This is what I saw and I am so gutted⁴. You know, really, I can't believe it," said one eyewitness⁵ of the events.

　　But many said tensions in the economically deprived neighborhood have long been high and it was only a matter of time before hostility⁶ boiled over.

　　"I think the community, there's been a long history of distrust with the police and I think tempers have started to fray⁷ quite a bit," observed local resident Marlon.

　　Simon, who also lives in the Tottenham district, said the poor in Britain are suffering and that is the cause of the discontent.

　　"Because people are really discontented now all over the place. The rich are having to give back a lot of money, losing a lot of money and they're trying to get it back from the poor so they're squeezing us even more, making us even more discontent and I think, most probably this could be something that's going to develop and go up and down the country from tonight."

　　The prime minister’s office called the riots “utterly unacceptable,” while Britain’s home secretary, Theresa May, said the rioters disregarded public safety and property, and the actions would not be tolerated.

　　Racial tensions have long been high in the area of north London, where there’s a high number of ethnic⁸ minorities and some of the city's highest unemployment rates. In 1985, not far from where Saturday’s riots took place, a police officer was fatally stabbed during violent race riots.

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

3 ransacking   

v.彻底搜查( ransack的现在分词 )；抢劫，掠夺

参考例句：

• She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present. 她正在彻底搜寻各家店铺，为吉姆买礼物。 来自英汉文学 - 欧亨利
• Ransacking the drawers of the dresser he came upon a discarded, tiny, ragged handkerchief. 他打开橱柜抽屉搜寻，找到了一块弃置的小旧手帕。 来自辞典例句

4 gutted   

adj.容易消化的v.毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的过去式和过去分词 )；取出…的内脏

参考例句：

• Disappointed? I was gutted! 失望？我是伤心透了！
• The invaders gutted the historic building. 侵略者们将那幢历史上有名的建筑洗劫一空。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 eyewitness   

n.目击者，见证人

参考例句：

• The police questioned several eyewitness to the murder.警察询问了谋杀案的几位目击者。
• He was the only eyewitness of the robbery.他是那起抢劫案的唯一目击者。

6 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

7 fray   

v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗

参考例句：

• Why should you get involved in their fray?你为什么要介入他们的争吵呢？
• Tempers began to fray in the hot weather.大热天脾气烦燥。

8 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。