Britain burns - Chavs ruin civilization

[Tamas]

There is a thread already! 

[Richard Hakluyt]

Nice one 

[Grallon]

There is a thread already! 

Yeah I finally saw it.  Since when do we sticky day-to-day news threads?  no wonder I didn't look up there. 




G.

[Sheilbh]

I'm sure this has been posted but I like this woman's response a lot:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraphtv/8690275/London-riots-Woman-confronts-rioters-in-Hackney.html

[Slargos]

Meanwhile, mud and trashy young people in Philly are causing trouble. The mayor gives a sermon from the mount (literally) and imposes a curfew:

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/nutter-strongly-condemns-mob-attacks080711

I used the mud terminology for you Slargos. 

How thoughtful.

[Valmy]

My area too.  The looters tried to attack a few shops on Whitechapel and got chased off by the East London Mosque's Ramadan prayers congregation

This is why Euros need to start returning to religious institutions.  It helps you chase off rioters.

[Sheilbh]

This is why Euros need to start returning to religious institutions.  It helps you chase off rioters.

I think the real thing is that there's a community there.  The Bengali and Somali people who live in this here properly live here, this is their home.  I'm a student who aspires to move to an area with an artisanal butcher and independent bookshop.  That's true of a lot of the people of my age and class (and often colour) in this area and others that have been affected - like parts of Hackney.  It's too transitory a place to have community.

In fact I've been reading that recently the Somali community's been united by sharing resources to help with the famine (most Somalis in this area are from Somaliland which hasn't been so badly affected and, until now, each clan and sub-clan's tended to have their own institutions) and last night apparently Bengali and Somali worshippers and business owners came together to chase the looters away which was unusual.  I mean it's an extreme form of social bonding but there's definitely such a thing as society here.

[Neil]

Since when do we sticky day-to-day news threads?

Fixed.

[Malthus]

Somalis versus Chavs - a battle only Slargos will win. 

[Slargos]

Somalis versus Chavs - a battle only Slargos will win. 

Popping corn as we speak.

[derspiess]

The infection seems to be spreading. Tell me, are those "looters" slow shufflers like in the Walking Dead series or runners like in 28 Days Later? 

The latter keeps coming to mind.  Too bad-- would've been nice to visit there before the rage virus outbreak.

And duh-- the song "Fearful" by the Specials (on Guilty 'Til Proven Innocent) seems quite appropriate.

Come let me tell you about the shotguns of Hillfields
Let me tell you about the stenguns of Knightsbridge
Let me tell you about the Moss Side barretta
Let me tell you about the windows of my house

I'm not afraid of being afraid, I'm only fearful
I'm not afraid of being afraid, I'm only fearful

Let me tell you about the bombs in the Arndale
Let me tell you about the Welling election
Let me tell you about the black church burning
Let me tell you about the bat by my front door

I'm not afraid of being afraid, I'm only fearful
I'm not afraid of being afraid, I'm only fearful

Don't talk to strangers
Bolt your front door, don't make eye contact
Buy a crook lock, wear your flak vest to the supermarket

It makes me shudder when I read the newspaper
Have a career, learn to breed paranoia
Me keep a watching on the rear view mirror
Me no tell you where I keep my revolver

Come let me tell you about the security systems
Let me tell you about the video surveillance
Let me tell you about my new rotweiller
Welcome to the siege mentality

I'm not afraid of being afraid, I'm only fearful...
Fearful, fearful, fearful

[Martinus]

I don't think he is a leftie. He is a bit like me - an elitist.

Shouldn't elitists be actually elite?

We are elite in Poland and Portugal, respectively.

[Slargos]

I don't think he is a leftie. He is a bit like me - an elitist.

Shouldn't elitists be actually elite?

We are elite in Poland and Portugal, respectively.

How many ambassadors have you dined with? 

[Richard Hakluyt]

This is why Euros need to start returning to religious institutions.  It helps you chase off rioters.

I think the real thing is that there's a community there.  The Bengali and Somali people who live in this here properly live here, this is their home.  I'm a student who aspires to move to an area with an artisanal butcher and independent bookshop.  That's true of a lot of the people of my age and class (and often colour) in this area and others that have been affected - like parts of Hackney.  It's too transitory a place to have community.

In fact I've been reading that recently the Somali community's been united by sharing resources to help with the famine (most Somalis in this area are from Somaliland which hasn't been so badly affected and, until now, each clan and sub-clan's tended to have their own institutions) and last night apparently Bengali and Somali worshippers and business owners came together to chase the looters away which was unusual.  I mean it's an extreme form of social bonding but there's definitely such a thing as society here.

I was thinking earlier today that I can't recall any riots ever taking place (in my lifetime that is) in Newcastle 

Which in some ways is weird; people from that part of the country are a fairly belligerent bunch and the area's industries have been hit time and time again over the past century. It is the poorest part of England by some margin.

However, even a chippy semi-criminal from Byker is proud of his city. These are long-established communities (genuine ones, the term is regularly misused nowadays), this doesn't stop your regular criminality and pub brawls....a cynic might ask that if they had a riot on saturday night in Newcastle how could anyone tell...but seems to have a dampening effect on any temptation to riot.

(This post is a hostage to fortune, I hope that there isn't such a thing as as "Hakluyt taint", otherwise the worthy citizens of Newcastle are in for a rough night  )

[Tamas]

#Enfield: 100 white men, 30s-40s, sprinting along Hertford Rd. Shouts of "Get the Pakis."
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Paul Lewis
PaulLewis

#Enfield Hertford Rd witness: "They're just blokes from the pub chasing a way the black kids that been causing the trouble."
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Paul Lewis
PaulLewis