Hume: London riots a long way off, but closer than we’d like

A rioter walks through a burning barricade in Liverpool on Aug. 9.

A rioter walks through a burning barricade in Liverpool on Aug. 9.

It’s a long way from Tottenham to Toronto, but not as long as we might like.

No one expects the street violence that erupted in the London neighbourhood last Sunday to break out in this city anytime soon, but many of the same conditions prevail.

To begin with, there is a growing number of young men, aged roughly 15 to 20, largely immigrant, who feel little connection to the larger community. This sense of disenfranchisement, mixed with growing inner-suburban decay, perceived police hostility, overcrowding and lack of decent jobs, does not bode well for the future of Toronto.

Add to that the mayor’s proposed cuts in social services — everything from libraries and daycare to transit and snow removal — and we have the makings of disaster.

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