Right, no time for posh posts or piccies … what on earth is happening in the UK with all the riots? Gosh, I thought I lived in a dangerous country!!! Are all my buddies still OK? WHAT IS HAPPENING THERE??
[dr - Got to have a pic, Jules 
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WTF?
52 Comments to “WTF?”
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Time lapse video of the skyline over Tottenham
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OMW Duncs – this is bad!!!! Get on the first plane over here, you’ll be safer this side!!!
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Short story, Jules ?
Bad guy (petty crook) accosted by cops. Shot fired. Hits policeman in chest (fortunately bullet struck police radio and officer not killed). Police respond to shooting and kill bad guy.
Bad Guys family and friends not happy with police account of what happened. Small peaceful demonstration hijacked by other folk with axe to grind against police and those seeing an opportunity to do a bit of shoplifting. Family of bad guy appealing for violence to stop.
Oh, and while it’s early days yet, it seems the bad guy didn’t fire at the cops at all. Reports circulating now are that the bullet that struck the police officer’s radio was fired by another policeman !!!
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One would think that people would be happy to be rid of bad guy, however, it seems like a case of every T,D & H jumping on the bandwagon to create chaos??? Very similar to what happens over here, it becomes like a dung beetle rolling a ball of shit …..
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pretty apt description I’d say
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Only good guys would be glad to be rid of a bad guy, and this lot on the streets certainly aint the good guys.
It doesn’t take much for jobless, disaffected youths to be swept into a wave of looting, and there are always people on hand to help with the sweeping.
This is how the 80s riots started. Hopefully this doesn’t take much of a hold outside London.
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How long can decent law-abiding people put up with this shit?
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I was blown down in flames (‘scuse any puns here) for commenting on someone’s post on FB that in our country when things like this happen, a couple of live rounds are let off …. they soon scarper like frightened mice when they realise the police are serious! I was told I was living in the apartheid era – (this person probably went and looked where I live!!)!! My point being is that these people are criminals – plain and simple, and they deserve to be treated like criminals – they are destroying peoples property, and believe me when that ‘rush’ gets big enough, they will not hesitate to kill!!
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I see it’s started to kick off in Birmingham now, Duncan.
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If what I hear is right, ratty, it’s kicking off a couple of miles down the road from here
No 2 son (now living and working in Amsterdam) just posted his concern on Facebook that his local might be a target for the rioters
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News reports say it’s the Bullring.
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This is like deja vu for me, Jules – I moved to Birmingham here just before the Handsworth riots in ’85 (http://tinyurl.com/btzda)
Similar sort of scenario – black guy in a predominately black area of the city accosted by cops. Community reacts, and chaos ensues. Pretty soon situation escalates into full scale riots as criminals and opportunists exploit the situation for their own personal aims
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I must have had my head in the sand recently…this is news to me!
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I think, maybe, what we’re seeing here is the straw breaking the camel’s back.
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Do you see much of that in your neck of the woods, ratty?
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A camel from Tottenham
The streets, she was trotting ‘em
Her dress had a cotton hem
All down to the floor.She spied her a fancy beau
And he just looked ‘good to go’
Although she felt like a ho
He shagged her all nightAnd this bloke’s name it was Jack
He spent six hours on her back
And when he pulled in the slack
Her spine it was brokeAnd as she lay in despair
He crept down the creaking stair
His chauffeur was waiting there -
“Good day, Mr Straw”(You need to sing this to a tune, which you should make up. Think along the lines of traditional English folk)
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This is what happens when do friggin do gooders and civil libertarians take away the naughty stairs. Welcome to Nanny State. It won’t be long before Australia will enjoy muh the same
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This type of criminality is the symtom of gross disaffection and a sense of being cheated.
Government, politicians, corporate business must be in la-la land if they didn’t foresee the possibility of tensions exploding., but duh! no, and instead continue to drink champagne while dipping into all pockets of the public purse.
People stress and a massive damage bill may have been preventable. -
I have a panoramic view of Birmingham city centre. It’s 6:am and the helicopters & squad cars are still making sporadic activity.
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sounds like you’re closer to city centre than I am – hope you’re O.K. !
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Getting interesting here at work in Wolverhampton – University on lockdown. Asda and surrounding shops now bringing shutters down. Police and youths gathering
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H&S officer checking statutes relating to employer’s duty of care relating to employee’s welfare during periods of ‘civil unrest’
Suggestion that he may have to impose a lockdown (everyone stay here overnight) if situation deteriorates to extent our factory is threatened met with a resounding chorus of ‘fuck off’ from aforementioned employees – though one or two males (naming no names) hesitated slightly as the thought of spending the night closeted with the office ‘hottie’ crossed
ourtheir minds
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Only 2 hours left to go – am planning alternative routes back to Brum (just in case)
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I hope you’re ALL ok!! Things are not looking good from this side of the world!
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@duncanr
I’m sound & hope you are too! I trust you’ll keep well and use descretion.
I see Handsworth had trouble, including unmanned police station(go figure). My area and 2 surrounding districts have unmanned stations all year round.
I’ve only just awoke as didn’t sleep til early morning because of sirens & car-screeching.
I’m 10min walk from the city centre and get a broad view as my home is situated on a hill.
Most of my neighbours turned their lights off when it first started to kick off.
One of the main roads from town turns directly into my neighbourhood and many high-speed car chase or get-aways passed thru. This quietened down a bit by 6:am-ish.
As far as i’m aware, no damage or assaults within our our immediate residential area.
14:20pm and helicopters are out again and sirens blaring.Big questions for Big society! eh?
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Eish!
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Right, so now they’re sending 16000 police out onto the streets … my question is : what are they armed with? Riot gear and batons?
Problem is with modern technology, these rioters can get the word around quickly where they are going to hit. They’re using Twitter and BBM, so they’re going to be targeting areas with minimal police presence. My suggestion would be to shut down these methods of communication, otherwise the police will never get the upperhand in this situation.
At the risk of being shot down in flames again, I have to say that situations like this over here would never have got so far, there would have been a couple of dead rioters by now (and sadly, very possibly a couple of dead policemen or women), however, the rioters would have left town, knowing that their lives were in danger. There have been numerous situations where rioters have been shot dead, you hear about it once on the evening news, and nothing ever comes of it. People would ask why? It’s simple – these people are destroying property that is not theirs, endangering others lives and assaulting and sometimes killing innocent people – they need to be shown that rioting is a criminal act, dealt with accordingly!
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New bus station in Wolverhampton hit by rioters. Train station on full alert. Getting reports that Wolverhampton city centre grid-locked as shops and businesses close early and folk try to get home
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And you’re still at work there Duncs? Get your arse in gear and get out of there!
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Pretty safe where I am, Jules – factory is on the outskirts of Wolverhampton, just a few miles from the motorway back home to Brum.
Trust me, I wouldn’t be waiting for anyone’s permission to leave if I thought there was any danger !!!
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Glad to hear that my friend, would hate if anything happened to any of you!
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When we had the strikes here a couple of weeks ago, that turned extremely violent, we had a FB page setup called “Strike Updates” – it turned out to be a very useful tool, as we knew exactly where the hotspots were, and when to get out of an area pronto! It saved our butts at work a couple of times!
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I thought you just asked for FB and twatter to be shut down?
Make yer bloody mind up!
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I’m talking about those that are accessed by mobile devices.
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OH, I forgot to add
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Maybe i should have had one of those in my comment.
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You don’t do them
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I’m concerned about concentrating the police forces in selected areas while leaving other parts in London & other cities vulnerable.
It needs trustworthy public speakers to get a message of sensibility across to the rioters. Pride will have to be swallowed and current revulsion replaced with a willingness to solve the root cause.
16:58pm and another wave of blaring sirens around town and cars screeching thru neighbourhood.-
Streets eerily quiet here, t3
been sat here in the garden listening to the sirens coming from the direction of the city centre
seem to have stopped now
but for how long ?
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No1 son has just got home from Manchester. He works in the centre of the city next to Piccadilly Gardens.
“It’s not looking good for Manchester” was his dire prognosis.
As he was walking down Market Street to the station, there were gangs of chavs and hoodies on foot and on bikes heading the other way towards Piccadilly, where plod were waiting for them. All the shops on <Market street were already closed and shuttered, and the Arndale shopping centre was evacuated and closed, with security guards at all entrances.
He said it was eerie and a bit threatening, with the mob and the police watching each other as they made their way towards where they would invariably end up fighting. There were already some broken windows in Piccadilly and on Market Street – a foretaste of things to come later on.
I wonder what his trip to work will be like tomorrow morning?
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I know the junction in Clapham by Debenhams like the back of my hand. I have queued for hours in the post office that the armoured police vehicles were rolling by last night. It was my home and it makes it feel very close, very real. Two, three mornings every week I used to go through that door at Debenhams and buy myself a pasty from their snack bar for breakfast. I couldn’t help but weep just a little as I watched events unfold.
The scumbags need to be rounded up, caged, sent to bootcamp for six months, then two years enforced community service 40 hours per week, cleaning toilets, real hard work.
Our politicians are responsible. They have denied our youth a future and deserve disgrace, condemnation and loss of office.
On Mark Duggan, he had a gun so he should have expected to be shot.
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that’s it !
I’ve tried to be ‘fair’ and ‘understanding’
but enough is enough !!!
F*cken rioters have affected me personally now
nipped round the corner to grab a bottle of wine for my tea only to find my local asian grocery store shut and shuttered. Likewise the balti-house next door. Walked to the other end of the street to find the asian corner shop there too had put the shutters up.
Had to walk f*cken miles to find a shop open (under the circumstances, decided it better to buy two bottles rather than one)
bastard rioters – string the f*ckers up, I say !!!
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I think you should defintely have bought a case Duncan
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duncan is a case.
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so do I
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Trillian3 is spot-on. People feel cheated & all this rioting is a direct manifestation of a country that’s failed them. Channel4 news was reporting that profiles of those arrested include university graduates, skilled professionals etc… So it’s not just chavs from the council estate.
And it doesn’t help that the police LIE! Duggan didn’t fire in the police yet initial reports stated that there was a firefight. THAT WAS A LIE.
Jean Paul Menzies did not have a thick overcoat when he entered Vauxhall tube, nor did he jump the barriers & he didn’t run down the escalators. THE POLICE LIED.
The public were told that Ian Tomlinson was not hit or pushed by police. Then a video appeared…. THE POLICE LIED.
Innocent people demonstrating legally, kettled for hours on end in subzero temperatures. WHY?
No wonder the people are on the streets.
Maybe the rioters should head for Chipping Norton if they really want change…
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I am very, very tempted to take that idea – “If you want to riot, riot in Chipping Norton where it will make a difference” and run with it.
In fact, I will
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If you’re going a-rioting in Chipping Norton, I’ll come with you if I can be the first to set fire to that odious curly-haired twat Jeremy Clarkson.
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I’ve made a plea to Central News to emphasize the usefulness of dialogue and engaging with the rioters. Threats of judicial crackdown is not going to be enough.
It also looks like the police strategy, in particular London, is now to cordon the edges of residential areas thus monitoring & preventing mobility towards town.
This is concerning because as has been seen, the police have not been stepping in to stop the rampage.@duncanr
Glad you got home alright! i hope you’ve got your feet up and enjoying your wine
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…and a classic lifted from twitter.
Sign appearing on the door of a Subway shop in Manchester:-
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@bluenose
How’s things in Bristol? ..hope your safe!
Beginning with August, the next few months will see the implementation of the most wide-reaching of ‘cuts’.
I’ve got a draft copy of the new Social Housing Bill of which resembles a ‘domesday’ agenda.
Amongst several new powers, councils will be able to give tenants notice to leave the property if the council deems that the tenant’s earnings/income do not warrant a need for social-housing,(low rented). The tenant and/or family will be advised to seek private accommodation.
Twisted or what??
There’s more but I won’t continue for the mo., i can feel my andrenalin curdling. The bill can be viewed on the .gov.org site but don’t be surprised if you don’t immediately find it in your search.
I heard on the news that some residents in London gathered on the streets to confront the looters.
This may be what Cameron means by Big Society ie: Stand by while ‘Joe Public’ cleans up the mess.
I wonder if a General Election is on the cards.
1:30am and helicopters are hovering over town again.
