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PRAYING: Chipmunk

A NUMBER of rappers from north London took to their Twitter pages over the weekend to express their disgust following the riots in their Tottenham hometown on Saturday night (Aug 6).

The riots, sparked by the death of a 29-year-old man gunned down by police last week (Aug 4), caused significant damage to shops and businesses on Tottenham High Road, N17.

Local amenities including the post office, the job centre and other Haringey Council buildings were burned down after a peaceful protest, which followed the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan at the hands of police, turned nasty.

In actions not believed to be connected to the earlier peaceful protest, some rioters pelted the police with bottles and lit fireworks.

Under the gazes of onlookers and as riot and mounted police cordoned off Tottenham High Street, firefighters brought the flames under control. The flames began to die down just after midnight (Aug 7) although the police maintained a heavy presence in the area.

Rapper Scorcher, whose grandmother Cynthia Jarrett’s death during a police raid at her home sparked the 1985 riots in nearby Broadwater Farm, wrote:

“25 years ago police killed my grandma in her house in Tottenham and the whole ends rioted, 25 years on and they’re still keepin up fu**ry”

“Police R here 2 upload the law & protect us leadin by example so wen they stop upholdin the law its natural reaction for,” He added.

ANGRY: Scorcher

Diamonds star, Chipmunk, who was born in the north London borough, wrote: “There’s so many different outcomes when u grow up where I grew up… None the less I just want the best for us all. Tottenham keep shining”

"Praying for my ends right now trust me," he said.

Police have arrested 52 people, mostly for burglarly, after looters ran amok in Tottenham and nearby Wood Green.

Up to eight officers were taken to hospital while 18 others suffered minor injuries.

However, rapper Skepta, a member of the Boy Better Know (BBK) rap collective, refused to let media coverage make him ‘lose focus.’ He tweeted:

“I hope the media don’t think all these riot videos & pictures are gonna make us lose focus. We’re still waiting for answers…”

He later tweeted: “RIP Mark Duggan a real straight up and down respected man. LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!”

FOCUSED: Skepta

Despite reports suggesting that Mr Duggan “was known” to police and had been carrying a gun when the minicab he was travelling was pulled over in of a pre-planned operation to arrest him, many, like Skepta, believe that there is more to the story.

Scorcher, real name Tayo Jarrett, wrote: “Can someone explain to me why we’ve heard from everyone under the sun apart from the cab driver that was with Mark? I wana hear his version”

“F**k the police *RIPMarkDuggen,” he added.

Chipmunk simply Tweeted: “Conspiracy”

KILLED: Mark Duggan

The Guardian newspaper has since reported that a bullet found in a police car radio belongs to a police weapon, and not from a non-police gun as previously thought.

It casts further doubt on claims that it was Mr Duggan who shot at police first.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) earlier revealed a weapon had been recovered at the scene that did not belong to the police.