(no subject)

[hellison]

Very glad to see friends in London safe today, let's hope it stays that way - last night was unbelievable.
I'm not going to even try to compare it to what happens here because it was totally different in character - here rioters are trying to get at *each other* or the police - there isn't looting or even the arson/property destruction here any more.

Also the police have adopted a controversial new tactic of containing them, letting them get on with it while they take photos then turning on the water cannon. Arrests are then made at their leisure a few weeks later, because apparently arrests at the time can 'antagonise them' and make things worse... I can in a way see logic in this but its still pretty WTF.

It does tho make Teresa May's statement this morning somewhat baffling -
The way we police in Britain is not with water cannon. The way we police in Britain is on the streets and with the communities.

er...


That's from LAST MONTH.

On a brighter note the #riotcleanup on twitter has gathered momentum amazingly quickly and together with endless tweets urging people to check on elderly/disabled neighbours is truly inspirational and hopefully a sign that you won't end up like here, where riots are just a regular part of life that people shrug and get on with.

Comments

[failing-angel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, water cannons - neither a tempting, nor entirely safe, option.
The only benefit - it may help with a 2-for-1 option with fires.

[hellison.livejournal.com]

Definitely not advocating the use, more WTFing at May and 'we don't use those! except when we do ' But yes, useful against fires if nothing else...

Even more boggling is that this morning they didn't want to use water cannons but they're allowing plastic bullets now? Badbadbad. Bad.

In conclusion, BAD.

[failing-angel.livejournal.com]

It is interesting(?) how NI seems to be overlooked in these discussions.

Plastic bullets - even worse; how to antagonise the 'opposition' - why, start firing on them.

I am so glad that London is quiet(ish?) tonight - I'd really hate for the army to be brought in (then again, so would the Met).

[hellison.livejournal.com]

Yes. Interesting (or, enragifying) - I'd understand if it hadn't been used since the Big Rioting days, but that was just a few weeks ago!

Bullet so much worse. A very very bad idea. Because once you fire AT crowds, someone will start firing back. Even without that, what you really need now is some kid getting blinded/maimed/killed by one. So very calming...

Good to hear things are quieter tonight at least.

[failing-angel.livejournal.com]

I think it's because it's somewhere that has had troubles (no pun intended) that still continue, even though they're now moderated.

I definitely agree about the rubber bullets - just bad, full stop!


I'm hoping that things haven't kicked off over there - either in response, or just for the hell of it.

[hellison.livejournal.com]

It's al quiet here so far - cops are still rounding up the rioters from last month!

and as I said above, riots here are very different in character - more sort of street brawls at 'interface areas' between opposite sides and the police, not the looting and burning you got, a different kind of chaos!

[failing-angel.livejournal.com]

I noticed that Wales and Scotland seem to be calm too (tempting fate) - something in the English character?

more sort of street brawls at 'interface areas' between opposite sides and the police
From what I was hearing earlier about Eltham's response to an approaching mob last night, there may be some of that starting to happen - locals (&/inc Millwall fans) a smattering of EDL, who repelled rioters and were talking about moving on to Lewisham (African and Caribbean population).

[http://users.livejournal.com/_unhurt_/]

i am a bit WTF at the "we don't use..." as if NI has not EXISTED! er, i mean, i knew this before, but living elsewhere now means the weird invisibility of Things That Happen(ed) There is suddenly terribly stark! (much more than it was when i moved from Outside to Inside, if you know what i mean?)

[hellison.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I didn't want to be all 'but what about uuuusss' when what happened in London escalated so badly, but that really just bugged me!!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_unhurt_/]

post-escalation i now feel v. guilty about my reaction to part of a day one news report - "they set fire to a bus". which was "hmm, yes, that'll happen sometimes". belfast: recalibrating normality for your news viewing pleasure?

[hellison.livejournal.com]

I was definitely guilty of that too, it's just so USUAL here (they don't call it 'riot season' for nothing!) that it just seemed a bit par for the course - especially being sparked by the cops shooting someone!

Best thing I ever saw an attempt a burning was the time (manymany years ago) when Internment Day riots were still all the rage and they hijacked a BIN LORRY and tried for quite some time to set it on fire. It eventually did go up with a very... damp boom ;p

[http://users.livejournal.com/_unhurt_/]

that's some determination there! smelly determination...

[hellison.livejournal.com]

It took them over an hour to get it alight, very entertaining to watch (they used to helpfully have the internment bonfire/riot in the park across from our house so we got to watch all the fun from the bedroom windows ;p)