BBC Apologizes To Darcus Howe For Calling Him A Rioter In Testy Interview (VIDEO)

The BBC has apologized for suggesting that a man who had a testy interview with one of the corporation's newscasters was himself a participant in the violence which has shaken London.

Darcus Howe's combative interview with BBC News presenter Fiona Armstrong quickly shot across the Internet. Howe, a longtime writer, broadcaster and activist, said that the violence in the British capital was an "insurrection" by young people tired of continual harassment by the police. At one point, Armstrong said, "'You are not a stranger to riots yourself I understand, are you? You have taken part in them yourself.''

"I have never taken part in a single riot," Howe replied. "I've been part of demonstrations that ended up in a conflict. Stop accusing me of being a rioter and have some respect for an old West Indian Negro, because you wanted for me to get abusive."

On Wednesday, the BBC issued a retraction. according to the Daily Telegraph. Editors called the question "poorly-phrased" and the BBC said it would apologize "for any offense that this interview has caused."

His run-in with the media might have been on Howe's mind when he appeared on "Democracy Now!" Wednesday morning. He condemned the press for what he said was an inadequate response to the unrest:

"It comes like a thief in the night to them, because they deal only with what has happened, not what is likely to happen, which is a kind of speculative truth. So they're always surprised. And whenever there's surprise, they look for people to blame, to cover up their own inadequacies."

Watch the original interview:

Watch Howe on "Democracy Now!":

Comments

[nicolerowan]

04:48 AM on 08/19/2011

All I know is that we spent one weekend in London (coming from Paris) and couldn't believe the cost of life there. We expected it to be high, but it was audacious. How the common person can live there is truly beyond me. (And we did everything on the cheap!)

Furthermore, we did, in fact, see many young black men having their person and their bags searched by the police several times and we were only there for one weekend!

[LLNYRN]

10:02 AM on 08/15/2011

My response to all of this...

Where are artists/music from the likes The Clash and Linton Kwesi Johnson these days?

Because their warnings were obviously never heeded.

[booshh]

11:24 AM on 08/14/2011

"Stop accusing me of being a rioter and have some respect for an old West Indian Negro..."

You got mine pops. Well said.

[Ian Gord]

06:35 PM on 08/14/2011

When he excuses the rioters?

I think not!

[booshh]

10:36 PM on 08/14/2011

Stating a potential cause for the riots is not approval for it.

[Ghanacan]

11:41 AM on 08/12/2011

This guy is just so self-absorbed. What are your credentials?

[commarcos]

10:01 PM on 08/13/2011

Talking to people who live in the neighborhood and are neighborhood activists is somehow wrong to you? Most people with "credentials" know very little about whats going on in the streets of our cities, with our poor people, and our working class. Their is so much anger within so many youth around the world. They have been let down and can see that many around them have also been let down. It tears them up inside but they have no real clue as to where to place that anger. Young people desperately want to feel connections to society and the world around them. When they keep getting shit on just as society is supposed to promise them knowledge to lead productive and purposeful lives. They have had their feet pulled out from underneath them. The biggest problem is that they are youth. While many interviewed did talk about the rage directed at the lack of basic civil liberties and the cuts in budgets, which were followed by cost raises for students and parents, many other young people and plain opportunists just took advantage of the situation to sometimes horrific extent. Because I am rambling I will just end quickly. It comes down to students subconscious and semi conscious anger and mistrust towards society and the state as well as the lack of critical thinking skills taught in our schools.

[commarcos]

10:02 PM on 08/13/2011

Just as so many are jumping on the mainstream medias verbal onslaught towards these young people, which clearly demonstrates the lack of critical thinking skills, these youths had no real process for dealing with why they felt the way they do nor do they have practical ways to deal with the injustice that most likely caused the mistrust. Do not get me wrong I work with youth and know that many of their emotional angst we hear about is what we may call nonsense but don't be fooled because many of our youth deal with very emotional and damaging situations that they attempt to deal with themselves. Young people, myself just barely included, are relatively new to this world, they need a level or trust and support, especially the youth who lack so much to no fault of their own. We punish their parents through their children. Go check out al-jazeera and start to get a different feel.

[jennyopines]

10:14 PM on 08/11/2011

Before we criticize the Brits, let's remember we are in a country where a host (Beck) can unabashedly ask a black congressman (Ellison) how we can be sure he is not on the side of our enemies........So please, let's clean house here first.

[mszksg]

08:19 AM on 08/12/2011

Fanned and favorited. My sentiments exactly.

[jayrag123]

09:43 PM on 08/11/2011

Britan and America are police states........all those laws they enacted to fight terrorism have been used to lock up black people.
Its a known fact that European/Whites use and sell drugs at higher numbers than Blacks but guess who gets thrown in jail for using or selling drugs.

These Police and Judicial system use LAWS to control black people. Its a crime to be Black in America and Britan has been exposed as being just as bad as America.

[Obama Lady 2008]

02:18 AM on 08/12/2011

Why don't you just quit beating around the bush and say "why don't they just go back to Africa"...there is no such thing as P.C. racism, if it quacks like a duck...

[adamantthe1st21]

12:25 AM on 08/14/2011

i did not think of it. but they probably cannot afford a one way ticket.and if they can i ll have to send them food and meds which is also costly . i have a suggestion. they should volunteer for somalia. help is vital during this misery.

[LaFemmeSASE]

10:19 AM on 08/12/2011

I think your comment wreaks of ignorance. While Trinidad and Jamaica do face security challenges, we are not the cause of the surge in criminal activity in Florida or any part of the US of the world for that matter.

2. Concerning the skills, in some universities in the US (Florida especially) the International population is comprised of many Trinidadians and Jamaicans and wherever we attend, we excel. Please limit your comments to things you know and not speak generally on behalf of a people, whose achievements and contributions you are blinded too.

3. A significant revenue earner for Miami is its Carnival which would not have been possible without Trinidadians and Jamaicans.

4. Furthermore, where many people in the US are unable to find jobs, I know my trini friends who are studying abroad have no problems getting their H1 visas and working for significant salaries. In Trinidad we do boast a highly skilled population with a knowledge intensive economy. Our security challenges are not different from any other country who is located between the cocaine suppliers in South America and the premiere consumer -the United States.

Please refrain from condemning entire countries because you are disappointed with your own system.

[onetruth]

11:23 AM on 08/12/2011

Your life must be quite blissful considering your level of ignorance.

[adamantthe1st21]

10:26 PM on 08/12/2011

there are truths which are not for all people, not for all times......

[Jeany]

09:12 PM on 08/11/2011

Armstrong and her producer should be fired.

[frameofmind]

12:06 AM on 08/12/2011

X2

[booshh]

11:32 AM on 08/14/2011

No, they shouldn't lose their job. They're human, made a mistake and deserved to be reprimanded. Perfection should not be the standard for maintaining one's livelihood. No harm, no foul.

[pphhrogg]

07:41 PM on 08/11/2011

He ought to sue them for slander. Their "apology" was the usual back-handed "apology" that all conservative news organizations try to get away with.

[rigslip]

10:10 PM on 08/11/2011

The BBC is conservative?????LOL

[frameofmind]

12:09 AM on 08/12/2011

Government Propaganda, pure and simple, just like NBC, CBS, ABC, MSNBC, and Fakenews is propaganda is for GOBP.

[Bernique]

07:28 PM on 08/11/2011

Darcus Howe rocks!! BBC apologizing to him is BIG NEWS.

[frameofmind]

12:10 AM on 08/12/2011

The BBC is only trying to save face, or there wouldn't be any apology.

[Iain Banks]

06:53 PM on 08/11/2011

So the media makes a 4 year old black kid look like a gangster, and they ask a retired broadcaster if he's been a rioter. They just love black people don't they.

[Sleepers Awake]

05:58 PM on 08/11/2011

The "apology," a one-liner, ''We'd like to apologise for any offence that this interview has caused," the "confusion" caused by Fiorna Armstrong and Darcus Howe trying to talk over one another.

What a load of krappe.

There was no confusion about the intention of Fiorna Armstrong which was to serve as the establishment mouthpiece.

She must have won their 'bravos' for that, but it was a poor interview and an extremely poor apology.

BBC drops the ball again.

[Andrew FingerlickingGree]

04:15 PM on 08/11/2011

"It comes like a thief in the night to them, because they deal only with what has happened, not what is likely to happen, which is a kind of speculative truth. So they're always surprised. And whenever there's surprise, they look for people to blame, to cover up their own inadequacies."

This man is brilliant. He's right, typical of the media. Ignore the lump until it become cancerous!!

[Master Bates]

02:35 PM on 08/11/2011

"have some respect for an old West Indian Negro"

What an incredibly deep and moving statement! I have ALL the respect for old West Indian negros!