[Rocksteady]

It's weird, to me this whole deal feels like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Fools

This is not a new thing, it's an old thing come back for the same reasons. There's an oppressed underclass that wants the same things as everyone else in a consumerist society, but generally feels powerless to get what they want (I think most of these rioters/looters are kids below voting age, from the people I've seen in photos and running round the streets at night).

There's no excuses for acting like thugs, but there are causes, highlighted eloquently in many of the posts above.

As a wider society, we're failing to reach the kids and teach them to respect our institutions and moral codes.

But it's hard to respect our institutions when (a) the people governing us are exposed for fiddling their expenses, (b) the banks lost everyone loads of money and are not only unapologetic about it, but continue doing what they did before and reaping a bunch of profits, (c) the police are taking bribes from the media, and messing up all over the place, (d) the media are illegally spying on peoples' private lives. And the people whose private lives are being spied on are generally acting like idiots.

[slackline]

00:38 9/8/2011: Camden Town, London by pixel.eight, on Flickr

00:38 9/8/2011: Camden Town, London

As looters and rioters smashed up shops, looted and fought with police in Camden Town, Philippa Morgan-Walker, 25 and her husband, Jonny Walker, 31, made tea for the police who were protecting their street. Some of the officers had been on duty for more than 30 hours.

[Jaspersharpe]

First suspect images released:

http://content.met.police.uk/Appeal/Suspect-images-issued-following-disorder/1260269386717/1257246745782#

Interesting how many are white and/or female bucking the stereotype somewhat. Heard rumours that some involved were not necessarily from the poorest areas etc but rumours are just that at the moment.

Anyway it sounds as if it's all going to start again soon. How depressing, let's hope the 10,000 extra rozzers can prevent it getting out of hand again.

[Plattsy]

Odd one..

BBC Monitoring Russian TV channel Rossiya 24 says parts of London resembled a "battlefield". Citing Twitter, the Rossiya 24 correspondent claims animals had been released from London Zoo and lions and tigers could now be heard roaring on the streets. This is wearily contradicted by the Zoo's press officer. "It's been very quiet," she tells us.
 

[Monolith]

I'm so fucking glad my tenancy wasn't extended. Lived off Lodge Lane in the 'bang bang' as its been dubbed. Got broken into by two hoodlums though I can imagine they won't be quite so discrete as last time if this is to continue.

Though ordinarily I appreciate and try to account for the inherent complex body of antecedents that lead up to these such situations, I simply can't help but think that these riots are simply the product of other UK cities seeing just how much pressure gang coalitions can exert upon a limited police force. One giant fucking snowball of needles and effluent.

[SA Chris]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/sep/15/theresa-may-cut-police-budget-without-violent-unrest

A good find. Sorry if it's been posted before.

[Grubes]

I have to say I love the photo what a mardi cow ...

[nai]

Apologies if this one's been posted before:

Nick Clegg "warns" of riots if Tories are elected (11Apr10)

[slackline]

Interesting how many are white and/or female bucking the stereotype somewhat. Heard rumours that some involved were not necessarily from the poorest areas etc but rumours are just that at the moment.

They're the stupid/inexperienced ones who didn't bother to mask/hood-up? 

[dave]

I have to say I love the photo what a mardi cow ...

I've got to say she's a lot less hot these days than she was in the daily sport back when I was 15.

[Monolith]

Just saw a Tory figure on BBC news who puts the 'N' in naivety. "If you think your child is wearing new trainers that they didn't have before or a new top, march them down to your local police station".

Yes lets darling. Stop off for a Pimms en route?

[petejh]

First suspect images released:

http://content.met.police.uk/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1283525497538&ssbinary=true

The one on the left's called Mr Saunders.

[robertostallioni]

Naughty dobbin.

[schloosh]

Paper, scissors stone?
Or are they playing slaps?

[slackline]

Looting has spread to Penzance as this shows

[SA Chris]

Or are they playing slaps?

I'd love to play slaps with him. Not sure I would follow conventional rules though.

[Monolith]

I'd like to deprive him of sleep for a week in an overly bright cell whilst I continually slap his cheeks just hard enough to be annoying. Every time he winces he can give me 20p towards the cost of my inflated tuition fees.

[nai]

Scarcely believable

'Showing the rich we do what we want'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14458424

[Monolith]

Never before has the word 'Robustly' been bandied about so much. It's the new 'sexed up'.

[Stubbs]

Robustly: for when you can't say 'twatting people with truncheons and giving them the boot' on the news

[tomtom]

Gosh, there seems to be an International motive from some rioters~!

[robertostallioni]

Re. the shooting of the outlaw Mr Duggan

Not the original line......
From BBC NEWS

1732:

The IPCC says the Forensic Science Service has also confirmed that the bullet lodged in a police radio was police issue and consistent with being fired from a police gun.
1729:

The Independent Police Complaints commission says ballistic test results so far show no evidence that a handgun found at the scene of the fatal police shooting of Mark Duggan had been fired.

 
What the fuck is going on, people.

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Seeing as it's self-evidently "kicking off" in each and every English, and who knows, UK, location, how about  a list of the places that it's not "kicking off"?

Just about everywhere then?

(I'll admit, it's scant consolation to anyone who has been involved in the recent mayhem, and you've got my sympathy - but FFS, some people need to give their head a shake broadcasting this sort of scaremongering bollocks. And as for the iPhone/Adenoid warriors using twitter to "#riotup" without having the first inkling of a) consequences, b) how riots actually start, or c) intention to take part in any demonstration or so-callled "activism" words just fucking fail.)

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Has anyone applauded Cameron's genius at announcing that he's going to denude the police forces of the rest of the country - at a time when there's been some unrest in other cities to bolster demonstrably unable to cope Met?

[tomtom]

Re. the shooting of the outlaw Mr Duggan

Not the original line......
From BBC NEWS

1732:

The IPCC says the Forensic Science Service has also confirmed that the bullet lodged in a police radio was police issue and consistent with being fired from a police gun.
1729:

The Independent Police Complaints commission says ballistic test results so far show no evidence that a handgun found at the scene of the fatal police shooting of Mark Duggan had been fired.

 
What the fuck is going on, people.

Erm, police try to arrest Duggan and end up shooting him instead?

Policeman fires two shots, one hits him in the chest and kills him, the other passes through his arm and ends up lodged in the policemans colleagues radio.. Further rumour is that the handgun found on the scene was hidden ie not drawn and not pointing at the police..

Which helps to explain peoples ire in Tottenham..

The whole IPCC process - and lack of news release has really not helped this.. If it was a cock up and the guy was accidentally shot, then theres a chance for the police to hold their hands up and try and defuse the situation.. but it appears the police and the IPCC dont operate in that way...