Wednesday, August 8, 2012

http://www.metro.co.uk Heroine of Hackney Pauline Pearce: I was petrified, but angry



Pauline Pearce, the woman dubbed the Heroine of Hackney after she was filmed standing defiant against rioters, says she was 'petrified' during the ordeal.

The 45-year-old became an internet sensation after a video of her giving an ear-bashing to yobs running through Hackney made its way onto YouTube, attracting more than a million hits.
Heroine of Hackney Pauline PearceHeroine of Hackney Pauline Pearce was 'petrified but angry' as she confronted a rioting mob (Pic: YouTube)
It has now been revealed that the jazz-singing grandmother, who also goes by the name of Lady P in a regular slot as a DJ on Conscious FM, later fought to defend a youth who was being attacked.
Speaking to The Evening Standard, Ms Pearce said she was scared by the angry hordes she was faced with, but couldn't contain her rage at what they were doing to her community.
'It was petrifying but I was just so angry. People's cars were being set on fire. What has that got to do with the cause of the fellow shot in Tottenham? How does that support his family?' she said.
After berating the rioters, Ms Pearce then saved a young white male from being beaten up by a mob, despite needing to use a walking stick due to a slipped disc.
She also expressed her disgust that the troublemakers seemed to want to turn the violence into a racial incident.
'I shouted "why are you turning this into a black-white thing" and one of them shouted back "of course it's a black-white thing". That was devastating,' she added.

the bbc says;
Mother-of-four Pauline Pearce was dubbed the Hackney Heroine when she gave a group of looters the benefit of the sharp edge of her tongue during the August riots. She lambasted them for stealing rather than fighting for a cause and told them they made her feel "ashamed to be a Hackney person". Her heart-felt speech was captured on film and became an internet sensation. Pearce had previously campaigned against gang culture after her teenage son Ronald was stabbed in the street. She has since spoken about the issue on national TV and radio.
Pauline Pearce

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