Every little helps? YouTube, sousveillance and the ‘anti-Tesco’ riot in Stokes Croft

On 21 April 2011, violence flared in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol following a police raid on a squat. Media coverage suggested that this riot was a manifestation of the campaign against the opening of a Tesco supermarket in the area. Footage later emerged on YouTube, which appeared to support claims by local residents that the violence was caused by heavy-handed police tactics rather than the anti-Tesco campaign. This study uses a critical thematic analysis to explore the comments left by those who viewed these acts of ‘inverse surveillance’, or sousveillance. Results indicate that YouTube provided a space in which alternative views on the Stokes Croft riot were seen and heard but the views of many commentators still appeared to be influenced by the news media.