There was a peace rally held today in Birmingham. The major speaker was Tariq Jahan, the father of one of the three young men who died on the second night of the riots after being hit by a car driven by a rioter. The next afternoon had the battered city closing down and boarding up for what was believed to be a much more violent night than the two preceding it. The reason? The driver of the car was black and the men he killed were Pakistani. The talk of revenge and an emotional clash between the two groups spread quickly and people were warned to get home early and stay there.
But the race riot never came. In fact, the riots themselves rather died for the most part. This was partially due to the increased police presence and their stronger show of force the night before. Also, the cops had been given the OK to use rubber bullets if necessary. But the credit is mostly given to Tariq Jahan who, on the day after his son's death, pleaded for peace. He did not want more people dying in the name of vengeance and, apparently, people listened.
Here's a news article regarding the peace rally: "UK riots: thousands attend Birmingham peace rally"
