The London Riots Burn Music to the Ground (via Pitchfork)
A Sony distribution warehouse in North London was burned to the ground around 4:00 a.m. GMT this morning during the third straight night of riots in the UK, as the BBC reports. The 200,000 square-foot center housed the entire inventory of PIAS UK, the primary distribution hub for more than 150 independent labels.
No injuries were reported in the blaze, but all inventory is feared lost. XL/Beggars, Warp, Rough Trade, Domino, 4AD, Sub Pop, Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Drag City, Thrill Jockey, FatCat, Kompakt, Mute, Ninja Tune, Vice, and Soul Jazz are among those affected.
Prior to the blaze, the manager of Rough Trade East Tweeted that Trumans Brewery, the arts and media quarter that houses the store, was on lockdown and that the store had to be closed “as a precaution to ensure staff and customers can get home safe tonight.” Today, Rough Trade is encouraging customers to assist in cleanup around the city.
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London Riots News Round-Up: The riots sparked last Saturday in Tottenham have since engulfed several other areas of London, with looting and damaged property reported in Hackney, Peckham, Lewisham, Clapham, Newham, Ealing, Bethnal Green, Chelsea, and Croydon. Looting and violence has also been reported in Birmingham and Liverpool.
Scotland Yard says it has arrested 225 people so far, charging 36 of them. “The violence we have seen is simply inexcusable,” Met Commander Christine Jones said in a statement. “Ordinary people have had their lives turned upside down by this mindless thuggery. The Met will ensure that those responsible will face the consequences of their actions and be arrested.”
Both UK PM David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson have cut short their vacations and are returning to London for an emergency meeting of the COBRA crisis response committee scheduled to take place around 9 AM local time.
“This violence and vandalism is disgraceful criminal behaviour,” Labour leader Ed Miliband is quoted as saying. “What we need to see is the strongest possible police response to restore calm and security to our streets and for communities to work together.” He also commended the PM on his chairing of COBRA. Home Secretary Theresa May called the riots “sheer criminality,” and promised those involved would be brought to justice. Acting Scotland Yard Commissioner Tim Godwin said the police would release CCTV images of rioters to help with their identification.
Meanwhile, The Guardian has an interesting piece by Josh Halliday on how the untraceable BlackBerry Messenger has emerged as a key instrument in orchestrating the London riots.
Live Updates: BBC, Guardian, Google Map of London Riot Zones. (via.)
[bbc: 1,2,3,4 / metpol / guardian / mirror / @marcreeves.]
The riots in London are incredibly sad to read about. Lots of links above to catch-up if you’re not aware of what’s happening across the Pond.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpmv8jiq301qzpwi0o1_500.jpg)
