Sitrep: London looting and riotingFollow

Obviously this whole thing is fake. Varus says white people don't do such crazy stuff, only dem coloreds...

Supposedly? Of course he was armed. He's black. Duh, Locke. White people would never shoot an unarmed man.

Rodney King!

Buy a history book.

I have to admit, I was surprised to see German speaking black people in Germany. Given the lack of black people I saw, I was even more surprised that people didn't assume that I was a foreigner and spoke to me in German.

It was a Rush Hour-Jackie Chan moment.

And now you try to convince us you weren't fired, but quit being a history teacher.

I didn't think Nobby lived in London.

Riot will be over soon though, after 3 consecutive days it'll start to feel like an actual job.

It's not just confined to London any more. It's happening all over. A gang of chavs tried to start looting the local high street here but they were arrested rather quickly.

A few pockets of resistance have popped up in London now, mostly from football fans who are standing up to the looters. I'd like to see these people try and loot any areas with a strong Millwall fanbase...

How's the media covering it there, Nila? It's pretty big news on the few major new channels I've seen state-side, and the social media is all over it. I just wonder if it's as large an event to warrant the attention it's getting, or if it's really that large or widespread.

Thanks for the link. I hadn't seen an article with a map, and my mental geography of that area is unfortunately poor. The breakdown was quite helpful.

I think this is interesting because it's so utterly against the image the UK has held recently. As a country that is fairly close to the top of the Global Peace Index list despite its involvement in all the wars, it's supposed to be safe.

Last month, when there was a week filled with politically motivated killings in Karachi and it was all over the news I actually worried less about my friends there than I do now about my friends in London/Nottingham. I think the UK isn't able to handle this sort of trouble very well; the police are probably doing a better job than the police in other places with more frequent conflict would, but the people don't have experience with this sort of situation.

They seem to be doing okay, anyway, and I'm for once glad I'm not in the UK right now.


Edit:

Someone on reddit said this yesterday:



I think that's part of what makes me feel more uneasy about this than about other conflicts that affect my friends and relatives - killing people because someone said something bad about Altaf Hussain is still less obscure than burning down houses because you have nothing better to do. Maybe that means I'm weird.
On a side note, tying these two things together, people are actually making a point to saying MQM has nothing to do with the London riots. I think that's kind of interesting...

Edited, Aug 9th 2011 9:08pm by Kalivha

I've heard there is a certain element of racial tension from multiple people I've talked to who live in London and the UK.

All over the world young opportunistic violence junkies in face-masks take over a lot of peaceful protests. It's interesting that French protests often devolve into burning cars... but not stealing and looting. The looting in London is pretty bad, if you're not living on a desperate edge. But what really appals me about the present London riots is the major arson of buildings. I understand many police and private citizens have been injured. With blazes consuming whole city blocks, and consuming tenanted flats above shops, it's a miracle and a mercy that no one has died yet.

Australia had the Cronulla race based riots a couple years ago, which I'm deeply ashamed happened in my country. I thank the universe major arson didn't happen here during those riots.

It's not just the blacks Varus, it's the underclass. Specifically underclass teenagers.

Edited, Aug 9th 2011 5:44pm by Nilatai

From what I've seen that was just played as an excuse for general lawlessness by the oppresses lower class.

Apparently this doesn't hold a candle to what locked down Philadelphia. I hear they're sending in the National Guard.

I don't know if a bunch of mandemz playing smash and grab counts as an economic protest. I imagine the motivation of the majority is "Show up at 11, throw some stones at the police and get a free TV!", which is what most of the social networking updates by participants basically say. As I've heard it, there's substantial mistrust between the minority figures and the police. It would seem to be not entirely mis-founded, given that the police issue bullet that ended up in the officers radio.

Tottenham is meant to be a pretty sh*tty area, right? Something like 30% Asian and 50% black, with those groups not generally being fond of each other (I've been told). Some news articles indicate that the majority of participants are young, black men. Whereas Turks and Kurds are forming sort of vigilante mobs to protect their shops.

I would say there are a whole host of issues at play here, race being one of them but not the most significant.

The @#%^ is happening in Philadelphia?

Thank God you failed out of education because you are fucking rock stupid. State national guard units are generally activated by the governor of their respective state. Go figure, huh?

Edit: That said, Google news turns up nothing for Philadelphia national guard

Edited, Aug 9th 2011 5:23pm by Jophiel

man is this guy ever trolling: http://twitter.com/#!/solaar

and people just eat it up...

I think it is time for David Cameron to step down and for the rest of the free world to recognise the rioters as the legitimate government of the UK.

The US and Nato should make their military availiable for airstrikes to protect civilians from the barbarous retaliation from government forces that will follow if Cameron continues to refuse to leave.

Ahem.

"I find you to be very contemptible. Your statements are simply not cricket. Barely understandable I should think. As well, I have objections to the number and behaviour of immigrants in old blighty.

This whole affair simply isn't cricket. Don't put the kettle on, I'm just going to get me umbrella. Harrumph, harrumph.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you."

I don't see why. A disintegrating (un)civil society is, in my mind anyway, evidence of how years of right wing policies have done nothing but create alienation and a culture of thuggery.

It is clear these people, whether they pay taxes or not, feel they have no stake in their communities, their neighbourhoods, or in society as a whole. And you can't hardly blame them for not paying taxes when years of "free trade" highway robbery has sent their jobs elsewhere.

It is ridiculous to think that cuts to programs that enhance social mobility (such as subsidized uni) combined with nothing but the crappiest jobs available for anyone not born of means wouldn't result in this kind of insanity. Also, I am not sure about your school system but if it is like any other school system in the english world over the last decade and a half of uber conservatism, it has been constantly under attack, underfunded, and lacking any innovation or changes to meet 21st century realities.

The MP for Tottingham predicted this kind of event when the cuts came down. And he was right.

What do you expect happens when you offer a significant portion of your society no means of living but working at Tesco for the rest of their lives, or Micky Ds or Subway (or whatever) - of course they are likely to become disenfranchised and prone to angry outbursts.

I am not excusing the incredibly poor behavior being shown here, but I don't think that abandoing principles which support lowering inequality and investing in those members of society who need it the most is a solution - it is growing inequality which is the root of the problem!

Obviously just tossing money at this problem won't solve it either. The roots go deeper. I am not sure about the comprehensive solution, but I do think the first step is fighting for more social mobility by fighting for better public education and MORE not less access to university.

No I don't mean the solution should be by right wing means, it's just watching my home town burn makes it hard to be logical. It's a lot easier to think to yourself "why aren't these cunts being shot?".


I agree with everything you just said, though.