Riots in the UK

[iStudentUK]

For those that don't know, a man was shot dead by police on Thursday in Tottenham, and tensions escalated culminating in riots on Saturday. Link.

The unrest seems to be continuing with riots spreading to Brixton and Islington over the weekend. BBC News arereporting demonstrators and violence in more areas right now including Hackney, Lewisham and Peckham. So far over 250 people have been arrested.

My fiancee works for the Probation Service and the police told staff in some offices to go home early this afternoon. Good job as there are clashes with police literally outside one of the buildings she works in! I can hear sirens and a helicopter from my house and I could be in one of the trouble spots within 15mins walk.

Link for live information here, may expire later.

 

[firestarter]

I live in North West London - my sister lives in Hackney.

I've heard a few helicopters go overhead, but I've also just heard the ice-cream van go past, so everything near me seems pretty quiet.

Looks like a lot of this is just an excuse for looting/thieving, so I hope they make lots of arrests (they've got over 200 people already).

As always, the standard whining 'community leaders' get to voice their opinions on TV. I'm not quite sure what these people actually do, since they always seem to show an astonishing lack of both leadership and responsibility.

Of course, there are underlying social tensions at work - and government cuts will be blamed (even though they haven't been significant). The lessons of the US ratings-cut are sufficient to ensure there's no let up in these.

 

[JetBlack7]

This kind of think happened in my country few years back, a group of black and gypsys went at each other's throat and started shooting in the middle of the street, the police appeared a few good minutes later after all hell broke loose and only then made arrests, although most of them were out in the streets on the same day.

Do you know what they said to the reporters?

"The police are a bunch of racist crackers and only know how to use brute force, not respecting our race and personal space!"

Unfortunately ever since other races have been given the same rights as caucasian people, everytime they commit a crime and police steps in, they fight back and if the police fights back, they use the "race card"; if a white person is killed by a person of another race, it's always "oh well, another one bites the dust" but if the same white person commits the same crime against a person from another race (especially african people) it's always "he killed him out of pure racism! It's unfair!"

That kind of argument is primitive and degrading, only shows the character of each race...

 

[firestarter]

Seems to be spreading to Lewisham and Peckham.

Some good pictures here:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/08/london_riots.html

 

[ucfgrad93]

Looks like a lot of this is just an excuse for looting/thieving

Pretty much sums it up.

 

[iStudentUK]

Seems to be spreading to Lewisham and Peckham.

My fiancée sometimes works in Lewisham Probation Office, but not today. They were told to go home there at 2pm by the Police Intelligence Unit.


Firestarter- your sister ok? Watching live news channel and seems fairly well contained by police in Hackney, but hard to tell.

 

[lewis82]

Pretty much sums it up.

Yup, same as the defeat of the Canucks in Vancouver was only an excuse.

 

[firestarter]

It's interesting that Blackberry phones seem to be the smartphone of choice for the self respecting London hoodlum. BBM gives you limitless messaging, and the proper keyboard and solidity are a bonus.

Apparently BBM is being used by gangs to organise themselves - so they can't be tracked as they would be if they used Twitter.

 

[126351]

The gangs are fighting back in protest at what they perceive to be 'interference' and 'hindering' of their activities (be that drugs or gun running).

The easy robberies are just a bonus.

Sadly, they are using a dead man's name in vain as foil for this.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Don't worry, London – word is that Boris Johnson is cutting short his holiday to deal with this.

 

[firestarter]

Firestarter- your sister ok? Watching live news channel and seems fairly well contained by police in Hackney, but hard to tell.

Yep. She was actually out and about in a taxi - but got home OK. She lives 20 mins walk from the centre of Hackney so she'll be fine. My brother in law cycled home fine too - apparently hoodies are mugging people for bikes in the surrounding area.

Don't worry, London – word is that Boris Johnson is cutting short his holiday to deal with this.

Boris is our secret weapon for ridding London of Oiks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8340865.stm

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Pretty much sums it up.

I agree and some people are being REALLY stupid posting pictures of themselves with the loot they stole. That is making the cops jobs just a little too easy. They already stated they are going threw social networking rounding people up using that to gets the warrants and evidences to arrest them.

 

[JetBlack7]

These hoodlums should be shot on sight, no excuse.

You riot, you die.

 

[firestarter]

I agree and some people are being REALLY stupid posting pictures of themselves with the loot they stole. That is making the cops jobs just a little too easy. They already stated they are going through social networking rounding people up using that to gets the warrants and evidences to arrest them.

Good. Stupid is as stupid does. Nice to see that the Police using social media against these idiots.

 

[gkarris]

What's the riots for again?

 

[Jaffa Cake]

What's the riots for again?

Widescreen TVs and trainers, it would seem.

A man was shot dead by police in Tottenham, apparently a drug dealer. On Saturday there was a peaceful protest, in the evening trouble kicked off. On the following evenings copycat violence and looting spread into other parts of London.

 

[Portaluk]

Unfortunately ever since other races have been given the same rights as caucasian people...

These hoodlums should be shot on sight, no excuse.

You sound like a really nice person


I was brought up in Tottenham and my parents still live there, about ten minutes walk from the carpet place that got burnt down.
This no longer appears to have anything to do with the man that was shot by police and is just a bunch of criminals doing criminal acts.

 

[iStudentUK]

Reports of unrest in Birmingham now. Looks like more youths and gangs with no futures kicking off out of boredom and frustration!

 

[Peterkro]

And Leeds.

A riot is the language of the unheard.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

[Bonch]

Brits.

 

[JonLa]

Careful Bonch - we'll nick your tv and trainers, and snap our grubby teeth at you...

 

[JonLa]

It's interesting that Blackberry phones seem to be the smartphone of choice for the self respecting London hoodlum. BBM gives you limitless messaging, and the proper keyboard and solidity are a bonus.

Apparently BBM is being used by gangs to organise themselves - so they can't be tracked as they would be if they used Twitter.

When iPhones and android made serious inroads into Blackberry's core market of business users, BB UK started pushing into the lucrative teen market by offering free blackberry messager and cheaper contracts. Many teens and Uni students can't afford an iPhone, probably wouldn't be seen dead with an iPhone (cos Mum and Dad and Big Sis may have one), and all their mates have Blackberries. The teen herd mentality - that all their mates are planning and chatting on BBM then ensures they all have to have one.

 

[iBlue]

What's the riots for again?

Twunts who think that the best way to protest the police shooting a man (who shot first at the police) is to be violent, destructive and all too happy to steal.

 

[rowley]

Im a little way away, still in London. It's not good, not good at all.

Firstly it was a peaceful protest about a shooting of a man called Mark Duggan in Tottenham on Thursday, after he supposedly opened fire on them. Saturday saw a peaceful protest which went onto burning and looting.
Again Sunday saw rioting, and car burning in Brixton and Enfield.

Tonight sees Hackney, Croydon, Peckham, Lewisham, and I believe Birmingham. Not heard about Leeds myself.

None of this in my opinion is justified. Its kids, who are victimising their own communities, which is dumb. It only takes a few people, most would have already walked away and leaving the equally stupid to keep the momentum going.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Not heard about Leeds myself.

There are report of a shooting in Chapeltown, and that a large crowd – some masked – are in a stand off with police.