On August 4, Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old man from London was shot dead by police after a suspected crime. Youth groups responded by organizing a mass, peaceful protest. Slowly the protests turned to riots and the focal point became grievances with unemployment, high prices and an overall sense of helplessness. The riots ravaged through Tottenham, an area in the London borough of Haringey, causing five deaths and $300 million worth of damage. The riots consisted mostly of looting and acts of arson.

Around the same time as the riots in England began, protests erupted in Israel as well. Similar to the initiation of recent uprisings in Arab countries, the protests in Israel were prompted on the internet. When a young Israeli woman created a youtube video displaying her dissatisfaction with the government, the video went viral, as many citizens felt similarly. As a result, mostly young adults lined up tents in Tel Aviv along Rothschild Street, one of the most populated streets in the city. Additionally, protestors set up tents in Jerusalem and other less populated areas of Israel. The protests include people from all ends of the religious spectrum and have unified many Israelis who previously lacked major common ground. The “tent-dwellers,” as they have become known, sleep in the streets to express frustration with the high price of living and the lack of affordable housing. The Israeli protests, still ongoing, have remained peaceful. An emphasis has been placed on the rebirth of intellect. Different lecturers present their ideas to the protestors on a nightly basis. Movies are also projected and plays are put on, all with the hopes of generating new solutions to the housing crisis.

While both demonstrations garnered equal news coverage, the world and local governments responded to the two events in drastically different ways. Both groups were of the same demographic and essentially fighting similar issues. However the British rioters were met with condemnation and scorn for the disruption and damage they brought upon their city. British Prime Minister David Cameron and London mayor Boris Johnson inflicted severe punishment on the rioters who were caught. In contrast, the mayor of Tel Aviv said the protests were “justified and appropriate.” The Israeli government has since issued statements agreeing with the protestors that affordable housing must be created.

The London rioters certainly felt and still feel desperation over their circumstance. However, their actions were not appropriate for their situation. Consequently, their plight will be ignored for quite some time as punishment for the harm they caused.