London riots

[Stephenite]

I would very much understand small business owners or people whose flats are torched being angry. But that's not what we have on this thread and let's not pretend that it has that justification. The people on this thread calling for people to be killed and so on are just obnoxious angry people who are taking the opportunity to shout their prejudices in a way that in normal circumstances would have people tell them to up.

And I will tell you what's smug - it's certain British people looking at Greece and so on, making all kinds of judgments about foreign economies and societies and how foreigners behave so badly and they had it coming etc. etc. and assuming 'it can't happen here'. Well, it can, and it is. Now you've got to work out what the hell is going on and do something about it.

Good luck...

I'm alright over here, thanks.

Yes, Britain is in a right old mess. Not so long ago it was the politicians, recently it was the media and, all along, the top brass of the police are turning a blind eye or taking bungs whenever it suits. Now the youths. Again.

Back in the riots of the early 80's I got word that there would be something happening in a certain part of Manchester. So i turned up. I was 14ish at the time. There was eight to a dozen older youths loitering in a shop doorway. My excitement waned very quickly as i realized there was no 'prime mover, instigator or fire-starter' in the group. The group dissipated within half an hour. As i was walking off with a mate a police car sped past. Excited and worried, i thought 'Maybe those other lads have started something'. But no, it was just the police speeding. As the police car went past and i kept my head down I couldn't help but catch a good look at one of the coppers. He was consulting some notes on a A4 sheet of paper and talking to the driver and then, briefly, looking my way. And i thought this isn't me really. I'd gone out that night looking for excitement with 'Babylons Burning' and 'The Jam' ringing in my ears, Aldous Huxley and George Orwell (and as i look over the bookshelf Mark Twain too) under my belt. Vive la revolution! But I didn't want to actually hurt anyone or damage anything. And i didn't. It was actually a bit of a damp squib.

Rambling a bit there sorry.

 

[Stephenite]

Thanks for the update MadCyclist but do us a favour and make sure you do the reporting from your home rather than the street.

 

[Stephenite]

Of course, it's too cold outside

A few of my mates are there though. Fire engines are also there now on standby.

Notts county vs Nottingham Forest best not get called off tonight.

It's good to see you've got your priorities right!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

One teen who gave his name as Jermaine has been told by police he couldn't cross the line to go to his house.


He said: "Some of us are just trying to get home." Police have again moved the line of spectators back as bottles and bricks have started to be thrown.

I am sorry but if you are still 'hanging around' the vicinity after a certain period of time..you are guilty.

guilty of what?

Apparently, according to Bongofury, simply waiting around to see if anything happens to your home/loved ones in said home, your business, or simply waiting to see if it is safe enough to go home yet, automatically makes you guilty of being one of the rioter/looters. It is all good and well for him to say that, but if it was happening to him, then I doubt he's just simply walk off in such a carefree manner, especially if the family were at home in the middle of it

All I can say is NEVER join the Police, you'd be dangerous.

Whatever the reason, if you are still staying where the action is, you are either exceedingly foolish or guilty of involvement.

.... Or if it is your property/business involved.....

I agree that most people are just there to watch, but to say that EVERYONE there is somehow in the wrong is utter rot, people WILL have a valid reason to be there, no matter how irrational it appears to an outsider! (and some other people such as the media are just trying to do their jobs. Are you going to arrest them too?).

[QUOTE 1498975"]
I take it you've never been in the middle of a demo gone bad or a riot? Once the Police cordon goes up then that is it - no one in and no one out.
[/quote]

Yes, that is another thread to this argument.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Thank you all the people out on the streets, making our already shoot reputation of youths even better. Look on the bright side, 8 weeks till I'm old enough to **** off out of this country.

Where are you going to go, Greece??

I know Croydon pretty well. The fact that Reeves (the furniture store) flamed up as it did was probably down to it being a pretty old building with a lot of timber in it's construction. The furniture would be flame retardent but not flame proof. It would take a while to catch but when it does it would burn well.

Just check that smoke swirling round it!

The other fire seems to be in West croydon. It looks like an opticians and is about 50-60 metres away from Evans.

Have you heard the rather passionate Irish Landlord of a Croydon Pub on BBC News yet??
I heard the full interview with him and quite frankly, it told me more about what was happening there than any of the news reports. He was trying to evacuate everyone out the back of his pub, but there was an Elderly woman which he had to help out. He eventually had to carry her, and the Rioters got to them just as he got her to the nearby Police Station. It was clear they didn't care for anyone, not even a woman in her '80s, and he was subsequently separated and trapped from everyone else by the baying mob, regardless of what he was trying to do.

Just the sheer anger and obvious contempt he had for the people made it the best interview I've heard, and it wasn't just a quick soundbite either, he went into quite a bit of detail. He was also talking about how people were just standing about watching, doing nothing, not bothering their arses to help anyone, despite the obvious distress of others, as well as people walking towards the burning buildings like 'Lemmings'. You heard exactly what he thought of them, that's for sure! (actually, he was on the phone and you hear him trying to direct said 'Lemmings' AWAY from danger, accompanied with the words

'Oh you must be bloody joking!' In an Irish Accent of course ).

You'll no doubt hear the edited version where he's saying 'they have absolutely no regard for human life at all, we are just decent people who have done nothing wrong!' and so on.

Oh yes, and the Sony Warehouse near Waltham Abbey has been burned down too. A worker at the nearby Hotel caught the people responsible as they were exiting, laden with electronic goods, and got a punch in the face for his efforts.


Oh yes and that is Bristol, Brum, Liverpool and Manchester involved now too. Others no doubt to follow.

 

[PBancroft]

I really do wonder how these people are justifying these things to themselves.

 

[upsidedown]

They broke into Lloyds bank in Handsworth last night; presumably they thought there would be neat bundles of £20 notes on the counters.


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[Becs]

I really do wonder how these people are justifying these things to themselves.

I doubt they are, that would require a small amount of intelligence. Ignorant little shoots the lot of them. Time to bring in the army and sort this mess out! There's no excuse for it and I don't think any amount of pseudo-intellectual bullshit trying to rationalise the reasons behind it is going to help. Some people are just scum and should be treated as such.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

They'd be probably had up for infringing somebody's rights if they took any action based on other people's communications.

And this is why the Police can't go in HARD and sort it.

 

[dellzeqq]

Apart from that you can add my vote to the opinion that it's a bunch of people after a bit of excitement and a new phone/trainers/TV/etc.

that's about it. A few hundred people, maybe a couple of thousand, out for shoes. If only Gil Scott-Heron was here to see this..

 

[Becs]

They looted Chalk Farm Evans cycles too!

 

[dellzeqq]

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but riots in Chalk Farm and Kingston-upon-Thames don't really cut it. I tend to get a bit old-fashioned when I see kids in £120 trainers made by people working for a pittance in the Philippines, and I can feel the encrusting effects of late middle age this morning......

which I relieve in part by going to Camberwell with a broom http://www.riotcleanup.co.uk/Locations/Locations.html

 

[slowmotion]

The worst incident on Hornby Island, BC, this evening was the sight of an old man in a Brooklyn cycle cap riding a BSO slowly and flagrantly breaking the helmet laws. Shocking. Pray for us here.....

 

[Becs]

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but riots in Chalk Farm and Kingston-upon-Thames don't really cut it. I tend to get a bit old-fashioned when I see kids in £120 trainers made by people working for a pittance in the Philippines, and I can feel the encrusting effects of late middle age this morning......

which I relieve in part by going to Camberwell with a broom http://www.riotclean.../Locations.html

Ooh I may check out the Camden one in my lunch break. Great idea

 

[Rapples]

We're getting our taxes back

Where do they they think the money is going to come from to clear this mess.....

Twats