Darcus Howe, a West Indian Writer and Broadcaster with a voice about the riots.

Speaking about the mistreatment of youths by police leading to an up-roar and the ignorance of both police and the governement.

Darcus Howe was interviewed live on BBC television on 9 August, 2011 during the 2011 London riots. The interview was noted for the hostile tone taken by the BBC presenter Fiona Armstrong conducting the interview.

Shortly after Howe began lamenting that “young blacks and young whites… have been telling us, and we wouldn’t listen…” the presenter interrupts him to ask him if he “condoned the violence”.

While denying condoning the violence, his attempt to decry the killing of Mark Duggan was again interrupted by the presenter.

Howe spoke of the events as a political uprising:
“I don’t call it rioting, I call it an insurrection of the masses of the people. It is happening in Syria, it is happening in Clapham, it’s happening in Liverpool, it’s happening in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and that is the nature of the historical moment…”

Armstrong interrupts Howe in mid-sentence, stating:
“You are not a stranger to riots yourself, I understand, are you? You have taken part in them yourself.”

Howe responded but was soon cut off:
“I have never taken part in a single riot. I’ve been on demonstrations that ended up in a conflict. And have some respect for an old West Indian negro, and stop accusing me of being a rioter. Because I…you don’t want to get abusive. You sound idiotic. Have some respect.”