Rodney King Urges Young People to Stop Violent and Criminal Behaviour

Rodney King became a household name in the early 1990s for some of the worst possible reasons - he was badly beaten by racist police officers in Los Angeles.

Rioting broke out in L.A. when the jury returned a verdict of "not guilty" for the police officers involved.

Similarly, violence broke out in Tottenham, North London when the police assaulted a 16-year-old girl during a peaceful protest.

King has now stressed that people should not loot and burn their own neighbourhoods - this is not a solution. He says: "Being a looter is a crime, but who are you hating? Your local store? My message to all rioters is to stop.”

Click here for a positive alternative to the violence.

See also: UK Riots - Ending the Violence.

Click here to read more about King's statement.

UK Riots - Ending the Violence

As the riots in many parts of London continue to spread across the UK, there is more and more talk about putting troops on the streets.

The situation is highly chaotic. The police are overstretched. They appear to be making it up as they go along.

For a better way to communicate and end the violence, see Improving Communication.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is one of the most effective methods of countering violence. NVC is used to transform situations, including cases of extreme violence.

We need leadership. We need strategies to address this situation.

The police and the authorities need to be using better strategies now. The old ways are not working - how more obvious can this get?

For news of NVC workshops in Britain and Europe, click here, here and here.

See also: Ending the Violence through a Creative Response. When are we gonna learn? We need a better way.