David Cameron Vows to Crack Down on Looters and Rioters

During an emergency session of Parliament on Thursday, British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to crackdown on the rioters and looters plaguing his country. "The fightback has well and truly begun," he said. "You will pay for what you have done." He promised to maintain a strong presence of 16,000 London police officers through the weekend and said he'd consider bringing in army troops. He also said authorities were examining whether the use of social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook could be regulated to prevent the planning of riots. "We will not allow a culture of fear to exist on our streets," Cameron said. "We will not let a violent few beat us." The number of people arrested during the riots has risen to 922 since Saturday with 401 suspects charged, reports the Associated Press. Cameron has faced criticism for his fiscal austerity plan, as critics have noted the riots were concentrated in poorer neighborhoods. But he remained firm on his decision to cut almost $4 billion in police spending, in light of Britain's debt woes. Read the whole address here.