UK riots

[LA_Boxers]

My mum just txt me saying rumours of it kicking off in Croydon at midday??

Anybody seen anything about this on twitter etc? She is working pretty much in central Croydon so kinda worried for her.

[magma]

Batter a few crusty hippy types at the G20 protests, but as soon as yoot start with bricks and sticks...

Exactly... old newspaper seller walking away from police, batter him to the ground. Lad swings off the Cenotaph, give him 16 months. Mob of kids with faces covered, torching buildings and smashing their way into shops and leaving with more electrical goods than they can walk, let alone run, with.... "Carry on, son..."

This isn't how it's supposed to work.

[wub]

Say I go to Burger King and ask for no gherkins and they put gherkins in my burger, does that give me a right to then smash the shop up, phsically attack the people that work there, punish people and ruin lives of people who may feel exactly the way I do?

Burger King in Colliers Wood got attacked last night, so this sentiment may be shared by some of the population.

[Viineri]

This is crazy... I hope you guys stay safe!

[hugh]

I have at no point said the riots are fine. Stop twisting my words, and actually read what I wrote. I do not condone the violence as I have already said several times.

[wub]

Cameron has just recalled Parliament.

[hugh]

HAMMER OF JUSTICE!!

I'm reading that 16,000 cops are expected to be on duty tonight. Hopefully everything will stay calm and the riots will die off.

[wub]

16,000 police are Parliamentary recall are a good start. Throw in some rubber bullets and minors being tried as adults, and you'd be on your way.

[nicenice]

From what I've seen its not even that bad. Looks like party, might go down with my bally and a beer and watch the bonfire.

[node]

The whole thing just seems insane. I actually can't believe how fast and far it has escalated and how lacking in direction it is. Shit needs to get locked down tonight before more people get hurt.

And yeah LA_Boxers, that actually might be true to an extent even though you are clearly being tongue in cheek.
It's really irritating me that some people on this forum don't see it as a major issue that needs reflection on: that we have so many broken individuals in society who are so quick to become opportunistic with violence. I'm not talking small numbers here. I'm talking about entire generations of working class kids from certain areas. That's fucked up.
I think "stupid stnuc" is a really stupid reaction because, let's face it, how normal is this kind of event? Something must be seriously wrong within the structuring of our society for so many people to be so pissed off, willing to loot or generally who just don't care because they already have nothing to lose in life.

Spot on, good article here>>http://m.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2 ... pe=article Saying that this was likely to happen is not the same as congratulating the rioters, quite a few people seem to have a problem understanding this.

[scspkr99]

The point is your fine with everybody doing all this, so long as the government is held accountable? Yes there are failings but that doesnt give them an excuse. Say I go to Burger King and ask for no gherkins and they put gherkins in my burger, does that give me a right to then smash the shop up, phsically attack the people that work there, punish people and ruin lives of people who may feel exactly the way I do?

These people are not doing it due to their hate of the government, theyre doing it to look big, get free stuff and cause the same trouble they usually do and be more likely to get away with it.

If this is what you think his point is then I think you've indirectly answered his question.

[nicenice]

Looks like the white middle class don't know what to do.

[jameshk]

Its not all doom and gloom, from the guardian live feed:

One officer, still in riot overalls from the night before, smiled tiredly when asked what the previous hours had been like. 'Well, it was a riot,' he said.

[wub]

Hello to a looter on Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/itsBARBZbabes

[Pedro Sánchez]

Looks like the white middle class don't know what to do.

What type of statement is that?

[wizeguy]

From what I've seen its not even that bad. Looks like party, might go down with my bally and a beer and watch the bonfire.

i'l bring the marshmellows

[JBoy]

Looks like the white middle class don't know what to do.

What type of statement is that?

Yeah because all of the middle class is white and all the poor people are black, get a grip you idiot.

[pulkpull]

The most concerning thing about this is that everyone has an opinion about the root cause of these riots and to some degree or other they are all right.

Yes, part of it is just mindless thuggishness.
Yes, part of it is pure greed.
Yes, part of it is pure opportunism.
Yes, part of it is an anger built up over the past 30 years in impovrished communities.
Yes, part of it is an anger stemming from watching a government come in and do all they can to maintain status and privelege whilst not talking to the people who need the most help.

It's all of those things, and more. There is no single solution for what is happening here, and when these riots die down, which we all hope they will, the problems will still exist. The problem is that the people in a position to do something about it are so divided along political and ideological lines that they just pick the cause that suits them and use it to score points. Ken last night on the BBC for example - wise words, a lot of what he said, but he just focused on one side of it and used it to hammer the Tories. Any other time I'd be all for that but this needs so much more.

On the plus side, I'm glad Dave came out and condemned the violence. I wasn't sure which way he was going to fall on that one. How about some actual ideas now instead of worthless soundbites? I know it would be a first for him, but now's as good a time as any to start.

[wub]

Looks like the white middle class don't know what to do.

What type of statement is that?

Yeah because all of the middle class is white and all the poor people are black, get a grip you idiot.

That's why Lidl got burnt down and not Waitrose.

[LA_Boxers]

I have at no point said the riots are fine. Stop twisting my words, and actually read what I wrote. I do not condone the violence as I have already said several times.

Im not really sure what your point is then. Youre saying it is the Governments fault that these people have nothing left to lose, which has made them resort to what they are doing. But why cant they do something for themselves?!? Im not personally struggling for money, but I have friends who arent as well off, but they actually dont expect to be handed everything on a plate. People need to make their own futures if they arent being helped. Smashing shit up, stealing things, arson, getting a criminal record, how is this going to benefit them? Its all well and good pointing fingers and blaming everybody else, but maybe these people should look at themselves first?

The Government is just as bad, if not worse, but they arent the ones setting fire to peoples livelyhoods (altho some may say they are in certain ways).