Riots in Birmingham/London/Manchester etc

[Minilad]

This assumes that these people feel part of 'their own' community, or indeed that they are part of any community at all. What seems more likely is that they are beyond the reach or control of any community, be it local or national. Expecting them to respect anything at all in this circumstance is just wishful thinking, and all talk of 'respect' is naive and irrelevant.
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A battering snake?

Maybe the rioters had heard COBRA was in sitting and got the wrong end of the stick !

 

[Hydro]

I like this quote from taken from the BBC, from an Egyptian blogger/activist who was active in the unrest to depose Mubarak:

"I am sorry but you do not loot to object the murder of a young man, you are using his murder."

 

[4SRKT]

Maybe the rioters had heard COBRA was in sitting and got the wrong end of the stick !

Hehehe!

 

[robertclark125]

Justice for the criminal? fair enough, but what about justice for all the victims, the INNOCENT victims, and that includes the likes of Comet, Currys, Go Ahead London, and various small shops. I agree about arming the police. If criminals carry guns and shoot people, then fight fire with fire.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I wonder how many of them would defect to the enemy though? They've already shown they have no respect for Britain.

The point is that they would never defect to the Taleban who seem to take a very dim view of all things Western that these feral youth love to possess. I cannot imagine that living under Sharia law would be the first thing these youths would look forward to.

 

[ChrisCooper]

The point is that they would never defect to the Taleban who seem to take a very dim view of all things Western that these feral youth love to possess. I cannot imagine that living under Sharia law would be the first thing these youths would look forward to.

It's noticable that the hard core Islamic parts of London don't seem to have been effected, probably because they would be out cutting off people's hands if they started.

 

[Hydro]

My girlfriend is sending me updates from Kent, Margate is apparently experiencing trouble and allegedly a Primark is on fire.

Rioters have chanted "You are rich and we are poor, we rule London tonight" to a human chain of residents preventing them access in Clapham. The twisted thinking is that anyone who is not "one of them" is rich and deserves trouble. Very Pol Pot thinking there (You wear glasses? You are an intellectual and an enemy of the revolution).

Looting Poundland and burning down Primarks? Really hitting the rich there, aren't we? Robbing your local corner shop, owned by your neighbours who have been in the same boat as you? It makes my head hurt that such stupid, stupid people are destroying so much.

 

[WestCoast]

This assumes that these people feel part of 'their own' community, or indeed that they are part of any community at all. What seems more likely is that they are beyond the reach or control of any community, be it local or national. Expecting them to respect anything at all in this circumstance is just wishful thinking, and all talk of 'respect' is naive and irrelevant.

In this instance, I am talking about a geographical community, put simply the place where they live.

These people talk of poverty and "the slums they live in". Well, what on earth is smashing the place up, scaring off shops and setting fire to places going to do? It's going to ghettoise the place.

These people want respect from the police, right? It's all they ever talk about , hardly irrelevant and it seems they don't know the meaning of the word.

All this talk of redistributing the wealth is utter crap, since, in one example, they looted from a small corner shop, most probably owned locally, by someone who is not rich in the slightest.

It's a very sad state of affairs, and it's gained these people NO sympathy whatsoever from the wider society.

Plus, it seems most of the looters aren't really protesting about anything, it's just an excuse to steal and damage, for their own pleasure.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

These people want respect from the police, right? It's all they ever talk about , hardly irrelevant and it seems they don't know the meaning of the word. Plus, it seems most of the looters aren't really protesting about anything, it's just an excuse to steal and damage, for their own pleasure.

I am pleased that you have brought up the matter of respect, that is used by youth today when they have not the slightest understanding of the true meaning of the word.

Do not schools teach that respect is something that has to be earned. It is not a word to be used to instill fear into others. Another example of American sub-culture being imported into Britain.

 

[4SRKT]

In this instance, I am talking about a geographical community, put simply the place where they live.

These people talk of poverty and "the slums they live in". Well, what on earth is smashing the place up, scaring off shops and setting fire to places going to do? It's going to ghettoise the place.

These people want respect from the police, right? It's all they ever talk about , hardly irrelevant and it seems they don't know the meaning of the word.

All this talk of redistributing the wealth is utter crap, since, in one example, they looted from a small corner shop, most probably owned locally, by someone who is not rich in the slightest.

It's a very sad state of affairs, and it's gained these people NO sympathy whatsoever from the wider society.

Plus, it seems most of the looters aren't really protesting about anything, it's just an excuse to steal and damage, for their own pleasure.

No, you misunderstand entirely about the respect thing. What these people mean by 'respect' it does not mean what you or I understand it to mean. It means 'fear' in the street argot as spoken by the type of thugs in question. It is a neologism coined out of a perversion of an existing word.

I'm glad you see fit to give definitive answers on behalf of 'the wider society'. Thanks for that.

 

[Mike395]

My girlfriend is sending me updates from Kent, Margate is apparently experiencing trouble and allegedly a Primark is on fire.

I can confirm that Primark is not on fire, and there is nothing at all going on of any significance in Margate (apart from people on the beach enjoying a sunny evening!) - it's all just rumours

In fact...99% of the things I've seen on social media tonight appear to be just that - more so than previous nights. I do wonder whether people are now just spreading rumours so that communities live in fear, whereas very little is actually happening.

 

[Mojo]

In fact...99% of the things I've seen on social media tonight appear to be just that - more so than previous nights. I do wonder whether people are now just spreading rumours so that communities live in fear, whereas very little is actually happening.

It's getting quite annoying now. Just search for any area on Twitter and you get stories about fires and looting in parts of London. For over the last 24 hours there has supposedly been trouble at Oxford Circus, yet nothing has gone on (so far).

Similarly there was supposedly chaos on Great Portland Street about an hour ago with side streets closed. Funnily enough I was walking along there at the time and everything was open as normal, with the local restaurants still keeping their tables and chairs out.

 

[WestCoast]

I'm glad you see fit to give definitive answers on behalf of 'the wider society'. Thanks for that.

No problem.

I don't mean everyone excluding the perpetrators, that would be inappropriate. Perhaps some people can sympathise with them, I doubt it though. From gauging the general opinion, it seems that most people aren't impressed at all and don't feel sympathy for the cause. Feel free to correct me if appropriate.

That is, of course, providing there is actually a cause, which seems to have become far from relevant now. When there was a cause (student fees), the protests appeared to damage support for the cause, from those without a stake in the changes.

 

[PR1Berske]

Buses and Metrolink suspended/re-routed after increased violent clashes. Just getting the reports through forums and Twitter now




Bad times :cry::cry::cry:

 

[SS4]

In fact...99% of the things I've seen on social media tonight appear to be just that - more so than previous nights. I do wonder whether people are now just spreading rumours so that communities live in fear, whereas very little is actually happening.

I've seen the same with regards to Birmingham, especially when you contrast the actual damage against reported damage there is quite the discrepancy

 

[Class172]

Just heard on the radio that trouble has now spread to West Bromwich and Wolverhampton; police are barricading one of the main roads onto the M5 at J1. It seems to be spreading very fast. For now at least, nothing has happened within 20 miles of me.

Aaarrghh... 666 posts

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Just heard on the radio that trouble has now spread to West Bromwich and Wolverhampton; police are barricading one of the main roads onto the M5 at J1. It seems to be spreading very fast. For now at least, nothing has happened within 20 miles of me.

Aaarrghh... 666 posts

Best number there is!

 

[AlterEgo]

Rioters have chanted "You are rich and we are poor, we rule London tonight" to a human chain of residents preventing them access in Clapham. The twisted thinking is that anyone who is not "one of them" is rich and deserves trouble. Very Pol Pot thinking there (You wear glasses? You are an intellectual and an enemy of the revolution).

Looting Poundland and burning down Primarks? Really hitting the rich there, aren't we? Robbing your local corner shop, owned by your neighbours who have been in the same boat as you? It makes my head hurt that such stupid, stupid people are destroying so much.

Brilliant post. Says it all really.

I have absolutely no sympathy with anyone taking to the streets with violence in mind. This country provides opportunities beyond the imagination of the vast majority of people who inhabit this world.

Perhaps the people who claim to live in "slums" would care to visit the Far East, or South America, or Africa, to see proper poverty. Toxteth and Hackney are not slums. They may be deprived but they are NOT slums.


Btw, I'm typing from my iPhone. Autocorrect wanted to change "Toxteth" to "richest"!!!

 

[Yew]

Aaarrghh... 666 posts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mHe6FMs46o

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Like the student protests, I think the majority of the fighters are just bored people looking for something to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mHe6FMs46o

I was going to link to that, but I couldn't on my BB. Run to the Hills is better though :P

 

[WestCoast]

Perhaps the people who claim to live in "slums" would care to visit the Far East, or South America, or Africa, to see proper poverty. Toxteth and Hackney are not slums. They may be deprived but they are NOT slums.

I've said this before, but apparently you aren't allowed to mention the poverty around the world because that is "pointless".

Personally, I was always told to be thankful for living in a developed country, where finding your next meal wasn't the major issue.

It's pointless saying they're better off than people in Africa or wherever because they don't live in Africa and theor standards of comparison are with the rest of Western Society.

Western Society includes places like the USA, where access to healthcare isn't guaranteed if you don't have the resources to pay for it yourself.

Western Society includes Greece, where cuts are ferocious and the country's stability is compromised, the jobs have disappeared and the conditions of the poorer areas of Athens are quite a sight. Immigrants who have entered the country through the Turkish border sleep in a limbo on the streets, with only volunteers to feed them. The government has no money to look after them.

Some people need to realise that Britain isn't usually providing the worst conditions for the poor.

 

[Hydro]

I can confirm that Primark is not on fire, and there is nothing at all going on of any significance in Margate (apart from people on the beach enjoying a sunny evening!) - it's all just rumours

In fact...99% of the things I've seen on social media tonight appear to be just that - more so than previous nights. I do wonder whether people are now just spreading rumours so that communities live in fear, whereas very little is actually happening.

Hooray!

 

[londonmidland]

Rioters have set fire to a Miss Selfridge shop on Market Street in Manchester city centre.

 

[WatcherZero]

Trams are terminating on the edge of the city centre.

 

[Class172]

Best number there is

Along with 13.

Does anyone know which places have been attacked in Birmingham; I'm not interested if it's Primark!

 

[AlterEgo]

Personally, I was always told to be thankful for living in a developed country, where finding your next meal wasn't the major issue.

Me too. I have actually visited Malawi and seen real poverty. People had no houses, little food or clothing.

Yet not once did I ever fear for my safety. People there could not have been more welcoming. I last visited in 2003 and am eagerly planning my next visit.

The problems in this country stem from a sense of automatic entitlement in young people. Nobody is entitled to anything in this life, except the right to carry on one's life and business in peace, without the fear of mindless cretins smashing in your windows.

 

[BestWestern]

I'm afraid that the lawyers will have a field day should that happen.

That's fine, we can direct the rioting filth towards their homes and then see if they still wish to represent them.

 

[Lampshade]

Preston's full of police, they must be expecting something to kick off.

 

[strange6]

What a sad joke. You're not telling me that the Police can't steam in and get 20 or so of these Feral youth? I suspect that the Police don't want to hurt anybody in case they get prosecuted and persecuted by the many do-gooders in this crazy, broken country of ours

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Along with 13.

Does anyone know which places have been attacked in Birmingham; I'm not interested if it's Primark!

Handsworth Police Station and the shopping centre above New St. A bit in the centre too I think.