Street Capital and Street Government: the role of the violent street gang in the London Riots 2011 Event

The riots in London 2011 lifted the veil on our urban street gangs who in the course of the rioting in London, acted as crucibles of activity. Pre-established networks and organisation precipitated and expedited involvement which was then facilitated through social networking. As the UK urban street gang evolves, these recent events may yet mark a further evolutionary step.
This paper considers the social field of the gang, its internal organisation and its relationship to these recent events. It considers how those affiliated to violent street gangs act to generate Street Capital to achieve advancement. The riots therefore provided a unique opportunity for a Reputational Extravaganza, where looting and criminal activity was, as determined by the social field of the gang - essentially purposeful and mindful – not mindless.