Turkish Shopkeepers and Sikh Residents
England's "nation of shopkeepers" epithet took on a daring twist when Turkish shop owners turned out to defend their property during the London riots. In the northeast neighborhoods of Stoke Newington and Dalston, shopkeepers grabbed rubber hoses and metal vacuum-cleaner parts to fend off rioters. "Every man is entitled to defend his castle, and we'll defend the shop against anybody," one told the BBC. The Turks were not the only vigilantes in town. In West London's Southall, hundreds of Sikhs — some as old as 80 — turned out to defend their temples with swords and hockey sticks. "We are working alongside the police," said local resident Amarjit Singh Klair who was out on Tuesday night to bolster the scanty police presence. "They're doing what they can, but they're stretched."