International media have been rampantly covering the riots that began brewing in England four weeks ago have many now fearing that it is only the beginning of what may soon scourge across Europe. Youth in London were the first to hit the city streets in anger and now the riots continue to burn as young people express their anger.
But what has them so angry? The gangs of youth numbered in the thousands setting forth on a path of destruction onto the streets of London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham and Bristol and other cities across the United Kingdom. The groups of youths set about starting fires to automobiles and buildings alike, looting and often ended with clashes against authorities. While unemployment and poverty appear to be the motive for the youths anger, they appear to have no political agenda in sight. Nonetheless, the angry mobs of youth have not gone unnoticed by politicians, both in Great Brittan and their European counterparts, as it is not the first time that youth across the continent have used rioting to put the spotlight on their discontent.
A recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), showed that out of all the European Union (EU) countries, the only one with a larger disparity of wealth than Great Britain was Portugal. This undeniable gap and the quickly increasing margin of unemployed youth has had many warning that this is only the beginning. Earlier this year Paul Brown, director of the youth charity of The Prince’s Trust, made the following statement on the rise in youth unemployment (16-24 years-old), which has jumped from 14 percent in the first quarter of 2008 to 20 percent in the first quarter of 2011:
“Youth unemployment is like a dripping tap, costing tens of millions of pounds a week through benefits and lost productivity. And, just like a dripping tap, if we don’t do something to fix it, it’s likely to get much worse. It’s now crucial to give young people the support they need to prevent them from falling into the downward spiral of long-term joblessness. Transforming these young lives will have a huge impact on their families, communities as well as on Britain’s economy.” (International Business Times)
Therefore other countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, who have already began to see the visible discontent of their youth, are left to wonder if they are next. However, they are not alone; even the more prosperous EU nations, such as Germany, now fear. The German National Poverty Conference (NAK) warns that prospects for young people are only getting worse. As youth welfare services are cut, they say, other services, such as the charity missions run from train stations throughout the country, are seeing more young people in need. (Der Spiegel)
The violent riots this past week are truly ringing alarm bells across the continent, as the youth of many European nations have begun to show their grave concerns for the growing gap between rich and poor. The question leaders are asking themselves now is, “who’s next?” and “how do we stop it?’
