UK - London's Burning - Tottenham Riots, August 2011

[For The Kids]

British suspenders are believed to be wonderful things according to a lot of British men

lol

 

[wfgodot]

12.50am: Peter Beaumont of the Observer has been in touch to report a number of loud explosions at a council-run recycling and storage depot near his house in Tottenham.

"The police warning people on that street to stay away from the windows because of the risk of another large explosion that might shatter windows," says Peter, who has gone out on to the street.

"We just heard voices shouting, and the first boom."

Fire tenders are now attending the scene.

Guardian again: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2011/aug/09/london-uk-riots-day-four-live

 

[wfgodot]

1.32am: A young man who was attacked by rioters and robbed by a group who initially appeared to help him has been named in the Malaysia media as a 20-year-old Malaysian student, Mohd Asyraf Raziq Rosli.

He was reported to have been on his way to buy food to break his fast was attacked by rioters in Barking East, London.

The robbery was recorded by someone and later uploaded on YouTube.

Here it is:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gex_ya4-Oo"]‪London Riots - Scum steal from injured boy.‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Kat]

wfgodot what has kept this going for so long? I know about the original incident that is supposed to have caused some of this but what is really going on behind this do you think?

 

[christee]

Live video stream from Birmingham, England:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sangat-tv

If the live feed is interrupted they play recorded footage.
The chat on the right helps follow what's going on.

 

[wfgodot]

wfgodot what has kept this going for so long? I know about the original incident that is supposed to have caused some of this but what is really going on behind this do you think?

A lack of opportunities in education, in employment, tensions which build gradually over time and then, given the original trigger of the Duggan shooting, explode. "What happens to a dream deferred?" Langston Hughes asks in a poem:

What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore –
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over –
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?

The looting is unsurprising; when baubles are dangled before our eyes, if we have no chance of getting them, over time, well, we some of us, given the opportunity, will break that glass and reach in, and take them.

I'm not excusing criminal acts but there is a context for everything; these riots are no different.

 

[Kat]

I understand what you are saying wfgodot thanks for explaining (one of my fav's by Langston H. btw)

 

[Nore]

Right. I remember long ago, when I first started reading British literature, I was baffled by any number of terms - "braces" for one; braces? on the teeth? No - suspenders, we call 'em in the States. And the spelling "gaol" - whazzat? Ah! jail!

--------------------------------
I have a good one about a pecker. Pat (my friend) and her family roared when I told them about over here!! I told her on the phone...Oh how I wish I could visit them!!!:seeya:

 

[christee]

PaulLewis Paul Lewis
Can this be true? RT@aderumbold Police helicopter circling #Gloucester. Woolworths & former Gloscat building on fire. Mass looting.




PaulLewis Paul Lewis
Something's happening > SkyNewsBreak: Eight fire engines attending scene of large blaze on Brunswick Road, #Gloucester

 

[For The Kids]

The looting is unsurprising; when baubles are dangled before our eyes, if we have no chance of getting them, over time, well, we some of us, given the opportunity, will break that glass and reach in, and take them.

I'm not excusing criminal acts but there is a context for everything; these riots are no different.

I am confused..why do you think these people have no chance of getting the " baubles"? Or that they have a lack of opportunities in education?

 

[For The Kids]

PaulLewis Paul Lewis
Can this be true? RT@aderumbold Police helicopter circling #Gloucester. Woolworths & former Gloscat building on fire. Mass looting.




PaulLewis Paul Lewis
Something's happening > SkyNewsBreak: Eight fire engines attending scene of large blaze on Brunswick Road, #Gloucester

Eek my friend lives there..we was just talking about this online tonight in fact

 

[For The Kids]

PaulLewis Paul Lewis
Can this be true? RT@aderumbold Police helicopter circling #Gloucester. Woolworths & former Gloscat building on fire. Mass looting.




PaulLewis Paul Lewis
Something's happening > SkyNewsBreak: Eight fire engines attending scene of large blaze on Brunswick Road, #Gloucester

Incidentally Gloucester although reasonably near to London its not a area like London. People are generally more well to do there.

 

[christee]

This guy seems very concerned about Gloucester area:

PaulLewis Paul Lewis
#Gloucester feels like a major twist. @muskhalili and I are on route - hopefully arrive within the hour #ukriots

 

[christee]

Incidentally Gloucester although reasonably near to London its not a area like London. People are generally more well to do there.

FTK, is this Gloucester near Bristol?

 

[For The Kids]

FTK, is this Gloucester near Bristol?

It is yes. I can understand why it would be considered a major twist because we have areas of England that will riot at the drop of a hat ie parts of London, Birmingham, Toxteth and Manchester, Bradford and of course four of these cities are involved in the current troubles but I have NEVER remotely heard anything like this from Gloucester

Incidentally without being racist..although there are white people involved in the current problems..generally most of the riots are started in black areas...

 

[UFO]

It is yes. I can understand why it would be considered a major twist because we have areas of England that will riot at the drop of a hat ie parts of London, Birmingham, Toxteth and Manchester, Bradford and of course four of these cities are involved in the current troubles but I have NEVER remotely heard anything like this from Gloucester

Incidentally without being racist..although there are white people involved in the current problems..generally most of the riots are started in black areas...

No, I don't want to go here, but...

Yes, the majority of the "unrest" lies within the minority population in London. I don't blame them though, for the social-economic malaise that WE'RE ALL in. But this is NOT the answer. When Japan was crippled with the tsunami/earthquake, there was ZERO looting within the populous. There was a need to help our NEIGHBOUR when times got tough, not burn their house or business down. Why not help out our neighbour? Is our world lost???

 

[For The Kids]

No, I don't want to go here, but...

Yes, the majority of the "unrest" lies within the minority population in London. I don't blame them though, for the social-economic malaise that WE'RE ALL in. But this is NOT the answer. When Japan was crippled with the tsunami/earthquake, there was ZERO looting within the populous. There was a need to help our NEIGHBOUR when times got tough, not burn their house or business down. Why not help out our neighbour? Is our world lost???

It annoys me when i keep seeing about the deprivation etc these people come from. For the past 8 years we have lived in Hull on the second or third biggest housing estate in Europe. It in fact covers several miles ( the mother of my husbands kids lived here with the kids which is the reason we live here). Many here are unemployed and the local secondary school is crap. It consistently gets low marks from OFSTED and was actually renamed a year or so to try and attract people. However in the 8 years I have lived here I have seen just one fight ( well my step son came home bloodied from a fight else i wouldnt have known about that even). We have about `10 shops across the road and only one has ever been robbed ( and that was in the daytime so not actually forced open). There is no graffitti on this estate. As I said the school has bad results however my stepson at 12 was invited to weekend event organised by the local Universities where a Uni place would be offered to him subject to him obtaining certain results as he had come in the top 100 in Yorkshire so seriously living on a estate with a bad school and high unemployment means NOTHING if the individuals on it want to abide by the law. One thing I should add though maybe is that we have very few black people on this estate so go and figure.

Something else to consider - because these people live in Cities and are unemployed does not mean there poor. A lot of the black people have quite a few kids. They would get there house paid for them...receive hundreds of pounds in benefits for them a week..free prescriptions etc ( and for the Pakistanis etc if they have several wives its a gold mine). These people are most probably a lot better off than people that in fact work for a living and seriously they may be unemployed but most are covered in gold and in designer sports wear and have the latest mobile phones and the latest fancy gadgets. I really dont get why people feel sorry for them or think its understandable that they would be upset cos personally if anything it upsets me the way they take the pee

 

[Trino]

Seems a lot of kids, especially younger men/boys, are involved in looting/burning. Where are the parents? If someone in your family brings home a TV/etc, aren't you going to be a bit suspicious, or is everyone in the family criminals?

P.S. Where's Queen Elizabeth, William and Harry? No statements? Are they in hiding?

 

[angelmom]

Seems a lot of kids, especially younger men/boys, are involved in looting/burning. Where are the parents? If someone in your family brings home a TV/etc, aren't you going to be a bit suspicious, or is everyone in the family criminals?

P.S. Where's Queen Elizabeth, William and Harry? No statements? Are they in hiding?

I've been reading a few cases where the kids are out there WITH their parents.

I doubt there is one single thing the royal family could say or do that wouldn't be cast in a negative light and used as an excuse for more destruction and violence. They are being very wise to stay out of the light right now.

 

[For The Kids]

Seems a lot of kids, especially younger men/boys, are involved in looting/burning. Where are the parents? If someone in your family brings home a TV/etc, aren't you going to be a bit suspicious, or is everyone in the family criminals?

P.S. Where's Queen Elizabeth, William and Harry? No statements? Are they in hiding?

Harry and William arent in hiding no..its not THAT bad here. There both in there forces so probably at there bases. As for the Queen yea maybe she should have made a statement I guess but I guess thats what Cameron is for.

As for the other point...in some cases the parents have been looting WITH there children...at the end of the day some of these parents...i really dont think there gonna care if there kids come home with nicked goods