London riots

[dellzeqq]

It's been confirmed that geoffrey butler was broken into last night. A team sky replica pinarello bike with Di2 worth over £7,000 was stollen along with 4 pinarello frames and around 4 complete bikes.
Bike plus and cycle king where also looted, luckily bike plus is pretty well secured and they only managed to get two bicycles. Cycle King how ever is meant to be completely empty today, and they have over 100 bicycles on the shop floor.

to someone who's lusted after the contents of the Geoffrey Butler window this comes as sad news.

And, here's the rub. Somebody, probably somebody with a decent income, will buy those frames, no questions asked. That, my friends, is where we are at.

 

[Becs]

yep, it would do a lot worse. Water canon and Army control are images of civil unrest ...or rebellion. This is neither, its kids from sink estates taking the piss

When you put it like that it makes a lot of sense. Incidently Dad (who was drafted in from the sticks to join the London riot squads in the 80s) reckons water canon would be a great idea but the army would be a very bad one. My worry would be that although it's sink estate kids now, other more serious types could jump on the band wagon and unless the police are tough now it will escalate.

 

[martint235]

When you put it like that it makes a lot of sense. Incidently Dad (who was drafted in from the sticks to join the London riot squads in the 80s) reckons water canon would be a great idea but the army would be a very bad one. My worry would be that although it's sink estate kids now, other more serious types could jump on the band wagon and unless the police are tough now it will escalate.

Not sure about the serious types Becs. I had a discussion with SWMBO while watching Croydon burn last night. Her view was that half the people on the streets were likely drug dealers et al. I tried to explain that the drug dealers are probably more upset about this than anyone else. If you're trying to make money peddling heroin and cocaine, the last thing you want is the streets full of police.

 

[theclaud]

dear God above! Say it ain't so!

Bit dull down at the pub?

It's true, I tell you. And this person wants to be my boss!

Yep it's still pretty slow. You were right about the Anaglypta...

 

[addictfreak]

When you put it like that it makes a lot of sense. Incidently Dad (who was drafted in from the sticks to join the London riot squads in the 80s) reckons water canon would be a great idea but the army would be a very bad one. My worry would be that although it's sink estate kids now, other more serious types could jump on the band wagon and unless the police are tough now it will escalate.

Your Dad is spot on Becs, the Army on the streets of the UK is the last thing we need and quite probably the last thing the Army would want.

The police are very capable of dealing with this, they just need to be given the free hand to do so. Those who dont need to be on the streets should go home, those who are left can faces the consequences.

 

[Becs]

A friend of a friend in the met police riot squad said this morning that they are ready to get tough but they are not being allowed to by the government. He also told us to get out of London if possible because the reckon it will escalate over the weekend - hopefully that's an over reaction though!

 

[jonny jeez]

that wasn't my intention - apologies.

You are a Gentlemen.

Perhaps I (in turn) misinterpreted, I'm feeling a little hotter under about this whole issue than I expected.

 

[Ludwig]

I would bring in private security firms who are able to control big unruly crowds at music festivals. Also bring in the farmers. They were able to stop the invasion of new age travellers on their land a few years ago and have the heavy machinery, muck spreaders and crop sprayers that could target the mobs and put up fences and blocks to cordon off areas off shops and so on.

 

[addictfreak]

A friend of a friend in the met police riot squad said this morning that they are ready to get tough but they are not being allowed to by the government. He also told us to get out of London if possible because the reckon it will escalate over the weekend - hopefully that's an over reaction though!

The headlines can very quickly change from 'Police sit back and do nothing' to claims of 'Police brutality on the streets'.

The public really has to decide which way they want this! Its easy to sit in your front room watching it unfold on Sky and passing judgement, its a whole different ball game when your face to face with it. I speak from experience, I have faced this as a Firefighter and as a Solider on the streets of Belfast.

 

[jonny jeez]

Not sure about the serious types Becs. I had a discussion with SWMBO while watching Croydon burn last night. Her view was that half the people on the streets were likely drug dealers et al. I tried to explain that the drug dealers are probably more upset about this than anyone else. If you're trying to make money peddling heroin and cocaine, the last thing you want is the streets full of police.

I disagree, Becs has a point, there are many in society who long for an opportunity to take a life, commit serious assault or cause anarchy.

The riots that culminated in the decapitation of Keith Blakelock escalated this same way. Once these types infiltrate the looters they *will* escalate the situation...it is their objective.

and again, once the community looses patience and fights back...it could all kick off.

Perhaps one spark of positivity is that this could engender a better relationship between the community and the police (with a shared common enemy)...if they handle it (or are allowed to handle it) correctly

 

[mac1]

A friend of a friend in the met police riot squad said this morning that they are ready to get tough but they are not being allowed to by the government.

errr...CMD just said that the police need to get tough...

Telegraph

 

[jonny jeez]

I would bring in private security firms who are able to control big unruly crowds at music festivals. Also bring in the farmers. They were able to stop the invasion of new age travellers on their land a few years ago and have the heavy machinery, muck spreaders and crop sprayers that could target the mobs and put up fences and blocks to cordon off areas off shops and so on.

not sure about vigilante security but your muckspreader idea is proper genius...I'm not joking, that *would* work

 

[martint235]

I disagree, Becs has a point, there are many in society who long for an opportunity to take a life, commit serious assault or cause anarchy.

The riots that culminated in the decapitation of Keith Blakelock escalated this same way. Once these types infiltrate the looters they *will* escalate the situation...it is their objective.

The Broadwater Farm riots were "serious" riots to begin with though in the same way as what occurred on Saturday was serious. That situation has now passed though, witness the relative calm in Tottenham last night. The people involved in the disturbances on the Broadwater Farm estate had very strong feelings that they were being discriminated against and disadvantaged. People with that level of feeling will continue to protest and riot until their grievances are heard and your anarchist can hide amongst them and stoke the fires.


What we are faced with now is general thuggery without any genuine commitment. We just have hoodies lobbing bricks at police and looting and burning, once it gets a bit lairy the hoodies disappear. The police drove a few armoured trucks at them last night and they scarpered, this doesn't provide the cover your average anarchist needs to be able to operate as very quickly they are left alone facing a line of police.

 

[martint235]

[QUOTE 1499127"]
I thought you were 22!

(I'll have a guinness, please, Becs).
[/quote]

Now where's the emoticon with the sick bag?

 

[gaz]

An update on Croydon. The shops in the town centre are already closing. New addington is also being shut down and police are heading over their in force. Helicopters have been over the skyline of croydon for nearly 16hours.