Support NeoGAF

[Tremas]

I appear to have dodged a number of bullets today. Just got home from seeing Morrissey at Brixton Academy (he had some scathing things to say about Cameron). I appear to have missed the looting and police en route to the station.

Back in Walthamstow now, no rioting on Hoe Street but crowds had developed. Macdonald's was undamaged.

 

[Joel Was Right]

MetPolice twitter:"Police are responding to a significant amount of criminal activity across London and are deploying officers to tackle it."

When they say "significant", you know shit's going down

 

[anonnumber6]

Police were monitoring social networks yesterday and knew of the 'targets'.

"The police officer came down the street warning us there would be trouble," he said. "He showed me is ID. He said: do you live here? I said yes. He said "bear in mind St Andrews Road is going to be the front-line tonight."

It really annoys me when teenagers call the Police 'feds'.

Teenagers from Manchester also do it as well.

 

[Your Excellency]

Brixton M+s:

http://twitpic.com/62ok1h

 

[Boss Doggie]

Teenagers? More like hooligans!

 

[Joel Was Right]

mattholehouse My colleague @andrew_hough reports gangs of 200 in Brixton tried to entice police into an estate. Cops hold ground"

 

[travisbickle]

I wondered this, there has been hardly anything on Sky News tonight.

A News International company colluding with the police, again!

 

[Salazar]

Just got home from seeing Morrissey at Brixton Academy (he had some scathing things to say about Cameron)

Did he have anything scathing to say about looters and thugs ?

 

[7aged]

Did he have anything scathing to say about looters and thugs ?

He'd probably approve the ransacking of McDonalds.

 

[Salazar]

He'd probably approve the ransacking of McDonalds.

But they cooked burgers...

 

[Tremas]

Did he have anything scathing to say about looters and thugs ?

Nope, surprisingly quiet on that front.

In other news, there appears to have been a stabbing on my road.

 

[FOOTE]

Nope, surprisingly quiet on that front.

In other news, there appears to have been a stabbing on my road.

Stay safe.

 

[theignoramus]

Police were monitoring social networks yesterday and knew of the 'targets'.

"The police officer came down the street warning us there would be trouble," he said. "He showed me is ID. He said: do you live here? I said yes. He said "bear in mind St Andrews Road is going to be the front-line tonight."

serious situation, but I fucking laughed at this.

 

[7aged]

Is that Chinner?

 

[-viper-]

Holy shit. Police need to storm the place now. Fuck these wankers. Watch them loot it and set the place on fire before the police even get there...

They need all the help they can get. Get the motherfucking army while we're at it.

Stock up on the rubber bullets. Shoot the cunts on sight.

 

[DECK'ARD]

Currys in Brixton:

 

[shuri]

Is that Chinner?

Zelda William's rejection certainly took a toll on him....

 

[Sealda]

Sweet and Tender Hooligan- Morrissey

Rubber Bullets- 10cc

 

[7aged]

But they cooked burgers...

True. Correction then:

condemns rioters ...for eating meat.

 

[-viper-]

Nope, surprisingly quiet on that front.

In other news, there appears to have been a stabbing on my road.

Hopefully it was one of the looters who got stabbed.

 

[loosus]

So it's still spreading.

Can someone please answer my question: why is this allowed to continue? I know I have an American perspective on this, but I can't for the life of me understand why this has been allowed to escalate this far and for this long.

Lack of police personnel?

Lack of equipment?

Police who are too scared?

Is there any political reason not to unload on these people?

 

[kharma45]

I just realised what's coming up this weekend where I live, 12th of August.

Yay, inevitable riots for us!

 

[satriales]

Came in expecting this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London's_Burning. I leave very disappointed.

That used to be my favourite show. This final scene of S9 blew my mind at the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9T2mA0P7cI

 

[DECK'ARD]

Live updates, photos and videos here:

http://thewestlondoner.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/breaking-riots-in-enfield-edmonton-brixton/

0154: VIDEO: Police being driven back at Brixton. (external link again)

0152: New update from Walthamstow: BHS is now being attacked by looters.

0152: Large police presence still on the ground at Edmonton Green – riot police, riot vans, the whole works. No indication of further violence/looting/arson there as yet.

0149: Sports Direct at Green Lanes shopping centre is apparently being looted. The rioters are spreading faster than police can respond now, it seems. Indications from Brixton are that some riot police have been redeployed elsewhere.

0148: AUDIO – Brixton man describes the scenes on the ground. (link to Audioboo page because wordpress won’t let me embed this one)

0145: Police have now cordoned off Brixton Curry’s and are attempting to regain control there. Looters are spilling away down back streets.

 

[-viper-]

So it's still spreading.

Can someone please answer my question: why is this allowed to continue? I know I have an American perspective on this, but I can't for the life of me understand why this has been allowed to escalate this far and for this long.

Lack of police personnel?

Lack of equipment?

Police who are too scared?

Is there any political reason not to unload on these people?

No idea.

The police need to crackdown on these looters. I definitely think the army needs to get involved. Things have gotten way out of hand. Public safety should be of paramount importance and nothing is being done. I blame the 'suits'.

 

[Ether_Snake]

If this was a group of terrorist-sympathizers, would it be handled in the same manner?

 

[DECK'ARD]

http://thewestlondoner.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/enfield43.jpg[img]

Haha

Edit: Amusing, but Vancouver not London.

 

[Zomba13]

http://thewestlondoner.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/enfield43.jpg[IMG]
Um...

FUCK SHIT! Beaten >.<

Nice legs though.

Apparently not from tonight.

 

[FOOTE]

^^ From Vancouver. No?

 

[Lionheart1827]

Man this is really starting to get me worried about my g/f. She is in Stratford currently with her mom and sister and finishing up a vacation in the UK, set to leave back to the US Tuesday. Where is Stratford located near these areas?

 

[DECK'ARD]

^^ From Vancouver. No?

Yeah, traffic lights look wrong.

 

[faridmon]

Holy shit! I used to live near Westfield just 2 months ago. Hopoe my flat mate is alright. Damn, I am glad I got out of London before these bloody things went down. Just hope everything is back to normal when I get back there in October.

 

[-viper-]

Yeah, traffic lights look wrong.

Doesn't look like the UK. also the police have circular riot shields in all pics i've seen in the uk.

 

[painey]

Man this is really starting to get me worried about my g/f. She is in Stratford currently with her mom and sister and finishing up a vacation in the UK, set to leave back to the US Tuesday. Where is Stratford located near these areas?

Miles away.

 

[Vanillalite]

 

[DECK'ARD]

Incidents so far tonight in red.

 

[-viper-]

If this was a group of terrorist-sympathizers, would it be handled in the same manner?

These guys are worse than 'terror-sympathisers'. Never has a group of 'sympathisers' wrecked havoc like this in London.

In fact, I would say these rioters ARE terrorists. They are launching petrol bombs at police cars, buses, buildings, shops etc. They are hurling stones and projectiles at the police. They are ransacking and looting shops.

They need to die.

 

[Dabanton]

So it's still spreading.

Can someone please answer my question: why is this allowed to continue? I know I have an American perspective on this, but I can't for the life of me understand why this has been allowed to escalate this far and for this long.

Lack of police personnel?

Lack of equipment?

Police who are too scared?

Is there any political reason not to unload on these people?

The police have lost control and the people know the police have lost control.

They are getting battered and given the runaround by young kids while more organised individuals and organised gangs raid stores.

 

[7aged]

I have no love for these thugs, but can the internet rambos in this thread please stop with all the "they need to die" bullshit?

 

[loosus]

The police have lost control and the people know the police have lost control.

They are getting battered and given the runaround by young kids while more organised individuals and organised gangs raid stores.

I guess I don't understand the lack of control, though. How has this even happened?

I mean, in the U.S., someone would have been made an example out of by now. And I am not "bragging" about our police force in the least because they can be as anti-citizen as any force in the world. But I do feel like, when push come to shove, police in the U.S. will take charge, even if that means some looters end up paralyzed (or worse) from bullet wounds.

And I know nobody wants to kill, but this seems to have reached a point where a line has been crossed. This is simply unacceptable.

I have no love for these thugs, but can the internet rambos in this thread please stop with all the "they need to die" bullshit?

I am not advocating their deaths, but I do see this as something that absolutely cannot continue, and if it takes a few deaths to make it stop, then so be it.

 

[Dabanton]

I have no love for these thugs, but can the internet rambos in this thread please stop with all the "they need to die" bullshit?

Thank you.

I was going to reply to Viper who's been an online 'tough' guy all day with some of his silly comments which have know passed parody and actually deserve our pity.

 

[Polari]

I guess I don't understand the lack of control, though. How has this even happened?

I mean, in the U.S., someone would have been made an example out of by now. And I am not "bragging" about our police force in the least because they can be as anti-citizen as any force in the world. But I do feel like, when push come to shove, police in the U.S. will take charge, even if that means some looters end up paralyzed (or worse) from bullet wounds.

And I know nobody wants to kill, but this seems to have reached a point where a line has been crossed. This is simply unacceptable.

So you say they should kill someone to set an example? Yeah that would be great policing. Think the riots are bad now? Have the police kill someone and see how much worse they get.

 

[Dabanton]

I guess I don't understand the lack of control, though. How has this even happened?

I mean, in the U.S., someone would have been made an example out of by now. And I am not "bragging" about our police force in the least because they can be as anti-citizen as any force in the world. But I do feel like, when push come to shove, police in the U.S. will take charge, even if that means some looters end up paralyzed (or worse) from bullet wounds.

And I know nobody wants to kill, but this seems to have reached a point where a line has been crossed. This is simply unacceptable.

I am not advocating their deaths, but I do see this as something that absolutely cannot continue, and if it takes a few deaths to make it stop, then so be it.

That would only increase tensions.

You would risk igniting something that the police would find extremely hard to control.

I'm talking a full london maybe nationwide event.I would actually shit myself if something like that kicked off as there would be no telling where that would end.

Let them go for now hopefully police have enough CCTV and other evidence to catch them at a later point.

 

[disco]

It's all just very sad and depressing.

 

[loosus]

So you say they should kill someone to set an example? Yeah that would be great policing. Think the riots are bad now? Have the police kill someone and see how much worse they get.

Not exactly. I am saying that if someone accidentally dies (i.e., a bullet hits them the wrong way or wrong place) because they wouldn't listen to orders, that's just a sacrifice that had to happen for the better of London.

And really, do you think most Londoners are crazy or something? If they get mad that someone is killed in a fucking riot, then we might as well nuke London from orbit and be done with the entire city. I give London a little more credit than that on a whole.

That would only increase tensions.

You would risk igniting something that the police would find extremely hard to control.

I'm talking a full london maybe nationwide event.I would actually shit myself if something like that kicked off as there would be no telling where that would end.

Let them go for now hopefully police have enough CCTV and other evidence to catch them at a later point.

This just sounds...completely backwards from the way I think.

I am trying to understand why people, as a whole, would get mad that rioters were put out of their misery. I know the current rioters would be mad (obviously), but they should be dealt with accordingly.

 

[ThisWreckage]

Between the economic collapse, natural disasters, riots, protests, etc. I really do feel like the world is descending into hell.

 

[DiscoJer]

Between the economic collapse, natural disasters, riots, protests, etc. I really do feel like the world is descending into hell.

No, the Cubs have no chance of making the playoffs this year, much less win the World Series. So it's safe for now...

 

[DECK'ARD]

I guess I don't understand the lack of control, though. How has this even happened?

I mean, in the U.S., someone would have been made an example out of by now. And I am not "bragging" about our police force in the least because they can be as anti-citizen as any force in the world. But I do feel like, when push come to shove, police in the U.S. will take charge, even if that means some looters end up paralyzed (or worse) from bullet wounds.

And I know nobody wants to kill, but this seems to have reached a point where a line has been crossed. This is simply unacceptable.

I am not advocating their deaths, but I do see this as something that absolutely cannot continue, and if it takes a few deaths to make it stop, then so be it.

It's what is looking as might have been an unwarranted shooting that sparked all this in the first place.

If such a thing happens again, you'd have carnage. This is all people organising things in different areas by social networking, if it really kicked off the police could be severely stretched across the whole city.

 

[fizzelopeguss]

So it's still spreading.

Can someone please answer my question: why is this allowed to continue? I know I have an American perspective on this, but I can't for the life of me understand why this has been allowed to escalate this far and for this long.

Lack of police personnel?

Lack of equipment?

Police who are too scared?

Is there any political reason not to unload on these people?

i imagine there's still an aura of respect or "intimidation" surrounding police in america, that alone is usually enough to disperse little shits. There's none of that here now, they went from being the most highly regarded police force on the planet to the shambles you saw this weekend.

 

[leadbelly]

Man this is really starting to get me worried about my g/f. She is in Stratford currently with her mom and sister and finishing up a vacation in the UK, set to leave back to the US Tuesday. Where is Stratford located near these areas?

It's in the Midlands. London is down south.