Massive Attack: 'UK riots are political'

Massive Attack have said that the recent UK riots are political.

In a Facebook post, the band also compared the scale of the looting to the bailout of British banks in 2008 and legal tax avoidance.

"In context with the complicit support of the government, the banks looted the nation's wealth while destroying countless small businesses and brought the whole economy to its knees in a covert, clean manner, rather like organised crime," the post read.

"Our reaction was to march and wave banners and then bail them out. These kids would have to riot and steal every night for a year to run up a bill equivalent to the value of non-paid tax big business has 'avoided' out of the economy this year alone."

The 'Unfinished Sympathy' group continued: "They may not articulate their grievances like the politicians that condemn them but this is absolutely political. As for the 'mindless violence'... is there anything more mindless than the British taxpayer quietly paying back the debts of others while contributing bullets to conflicts that we have absolutely no understanding of?

"It's mad, sad and scary when we have to take to the streets to defend our homes and businesses from angry thieving kids, but where are the police and what justice is ever done when the mob is dressed in pin stripe?"

The post has proved controversial, with over 5,000 Facebook users choosing to 'Like' the message and over 1,200 people leaving comments - some in support and some in opposition.

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Watch the Massive Attack 'Unfinished Sympathy' video below: