DFA: No Filipinos hurt in London riots

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday no Filipinos were hurt so far in London where rioting and looting have been going on for the past few days. Raul Hernandez, spokesman of the DFA, said in a statement that the Philippine Embassy in London "checked with the Diplomatic Protection Group and the Metropolitan Police in London to find out if there were Filipinos among those who have been identified to have been involved in or affected by the incident." "As of yesterday, no Filipino has been identified or affected by the incident.The embassy will continue to closely monitor the situation," Hernandez said. The Philippine embassy in London is in contact with the Filipino community there, advising them to stay out of the riots. Filipinos in affected areas should immediately contact the embassy if they feel that their safety is at risk, Hernandez said. “What is important is that they coordinate with our officials there and inform them of their situation," he said. He also emphasized that the Philippines is not yet issuing a travel advisory on London even though violence has erupted in the area. Hernandez said there are around 220,000 Filipinos in the entire United Kingdom. However, figures on the number of Filipinos in London are not immediately available. Shooting of a protester The violence broke out when a police shot a 28-year-old protester in Tottenham. Reports said rioters, armed with metal poles, blocks of wood, and rocks, smashed shop windows and looted premises across London. According to a Reuters report on Tuesday (Manila time), "hooded youths set buildings and cars ablaze, smashed shop windows and hurled bottles and stones at police in a third night of violence in Britain's worst unrest in decades." "The violence erupted late on Saturday in London's northern Tottenham district when a peaceful protest over the police shooting of a suspect two days earlier turned violent," Reuters said. "Attackers also smashed shops and looted property in the city of Birmingham in central England, police said, in the first sign of the riots spreading beyond the capital," Reuters added. - VVP, GMA News