Riots Spread Across the United Kingdom

[Glenn]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...london-14450248

As many will be aware, London and other urban areas of the United Kingdom are under attack for yet another night. Anarchists, looters and teenage thugs are banding together through social networking and going on a violent and destructive rampage, sparked wrongly by selfish instigators hijacking a peaceful protest three days ago.

Members of SSMB in or near London, or near any other volatile locations in the country, please use this topic to let us know you're all safe and uninvolved. I'm sure a wider discussion about the riots will follow, but the most important part is ensuring the safety of our friends.

Hopefully I speak for everybody when I wish the safety and security of our London-based members remains intact.

Edited August 9, 2011 by Glenn

[Stacy]

I don't live near the current effected areas but my Dad is a policeman and I fear that the riots might come near Salford and Bolton, I don't live near there but my Dad is based in the outskirts of Bolton.

Please think of the brave officers out and of their familes trying their best to keep under control. Please beware the Police have been stretched thin due to these budget cuts and they unable to cover all araes. The riots on Saturday in Tottenham they needed police based in Surrey to help them they were that sretched thin.

I hope this will end soon, its luckly no one has been killed so far.

Edited August 8, 2011 by BW199148

[KrazyBean]

I swear some people are so retarded. I live in Tottenham, the place where it all started...and now Peckham, Hackney and even Birmingham is getting involved!! Why the hell is Birmingham getting involved...THEY ARE NOT EVEN IN LONDON!!!!

*sigh*...Thank God that there are currently no fatalities and I pray that it stays that way.

I was even planning to go to the Cinema to watch Super 8 at Wood Green...now I can't

Edited August 8, 2011 by KrazyBean14

[Vertekins]

I heard on Facebook that there's looters in Northfield. That's where I live. I presume it's in our town center, which I occasionally visit as it's about 2 miles from where I live. Googling Birmingham regarding rioting/looting lately, apparently the Bull Ring was closed off earlier today. I was planning to go into town today as well

I'm very cautious, so I don't think I'll be going into my town's center and B'hams city center anytime soon...

[Neon]

This has got way out of hand. I hope this stops. Now. I hope we find out who the assholes were who started these dangerous riots as part of the protest.

Luckily i'm up near Manchester. I hope everyone near the riots is safe and stays clear away from them.

Edited August 8, 2011 by Neon

[Glenn]

Wise moves, guys. The advice of staying in, staying put and staying away from any town centres, near the flashpoints but in general too, is common sense but important to stick to.

Thanks for replying. SSMB has a large number of UK-based users and, at the rate this is spreading, we're all going to be in the vicinity of unrest sooner or later. At the very least, posting here and confirming your safety will help the rest of us sleep a little better!

Best wishes to all law enforcement officers, as well. My father is on duty this week, and I'm just waiting for his phone to start ringing, really. You know 'tis bad when London calls on Kent.

Just stay safe, everybody.

[Vertekins]

Ah, yes, they are DEFINATELY doing it to Birmingham. Just saw the carnage on Sky News. This makes my blood boil Our wonderful, classy Bull Ring and other city center shops are being ransacked and smashed, our shopkeepers ousted and the innocent citizens intimidated. It's saddening and enraging because the Bull Ring and the rest of the city center is a wonderful place that I personally have a great attachment to and have done for so many years. To see it being a victim to this senseless anarchy is absolute rage-inducing.

I feel like punching something...

[Scott]

I'm actually so glad right now that I live in Scotland, but I'm really glad to hear there's no Deaths, and I hope everyone in the South is okay Keep your chins up and be strong <3

This whole thing reminds me of the Fallout end quote for some reason... "The Player may change, but war? War never changes"

Edit: Might sound like an asshole saying this, but these riots give me an idea for a plot point in my Graphic Novel story...if only the events today were really fiction.

Edited August 8, 2011 by Scott

[Cynical]

Riot in London started for a reason.

Don't ask me, do some research yourself, and you'd probably understand.

[KrazyBean]

Best wishes to all law enforcement officers, as well. My father is on duty this week, and I'm just waiting for his phone to start ringing, really. You know 'tis bad when London calls on Kent.

Good luck to your Dad! I hope that he can help keep these IDIOTS in line

[theadvisor1234]

I wonder why anarchists form groups for their riots. Isn't that against their system of belief?

[KrazyBean]

Riot in London started for a reason.

Don't ask me, do some research yourself, and you'd probably understand.

The riots were peaceful at first but then a handful of people started making a mess of things.

Edited August 8, 2011 by KrazyBean14

[Gaming Misfit]

Reminded me of this song:

In other words, I hope all of you remain safe as well as any others in the area. I don't live anywhere near there...(obviously, just look at my location) however I consider all of you good people and even if you weren't I would never want any of you to get hurt. I'll pray for you guys.

[Cynical]

*edit*

Edited August 8, 2011 by TheREVerend

[Badnik Mechanic]

Riot in London started for a reason.

Don't ask me, do some research yourself, and you'd probably understand.

I think it started more down to an excuse as apposed to a reason or a cause.

If you do some research into these things you'd probably understand. Specifically, the riots which occured in tottenham a few years back following the police raid and the lady who had a stroke.

Awesome, Anarchy in the UK

Oh buggery the neg button has gone.

[Cynical]

The riots were peaceful at first but then a handful of people started making a mess of things.

Awesome, Anarchy in the UK. (sarcasm.. Sort of)

[Glenn]

The riots were peaceful but a handful of people started making a mess of things.

It wasn't a riot, even, but a peaceful protest.

Details are unconfirmed, but the strongest indication is that an armed policeman attempted to make an arrest of a suspect in Operation: Trident, a police crack-down on illegal firearms in London. The suspect turned out to be armed and fired at the policeman, hitting (mercifully) the policeman's radio. The policeman returned fire, as you would, and his shot killed the suspect.

Now, depending on where you stand regarding the police being armed, that's either reason to protest (and fair enough, but keep it civil, as the initial peaceful protest did) or perfectly acceptable.

Under no circumstance is it reason to set fire to innocent people's homes and steal goods from burning shops.

Just as with the student fees protest, criminals have hijacked the "excuse" to spark their own unique brand of so-called "justice", but nobody can argue that looting is fair justice for the police shooting a suspect. Nobody can argue that setting fire to innocent people's homes is any kind of appropriate social response.

This is just one huge mess, which is teaching us some important lessons about today's urban youth.

Shame we couldn't have learned them without a fight.

[CobaltBlue]

I live in East London, and I thought it was fine here. Until I needed to find a replacement charger for my laptop, so I headed down to my local PC World & Currys. They were closed, with a bunch of the staff outside at the entrance, turned out they were one of the victims of the rampant thugs, poor guys. Guess the charger should be the least of my worries, wonder how many other stores have been hit around my area.

[Stacy]

Awesome, Anarchy in the UK. (sarcasm.. Sort of)

No its not, please don't be ignorant!

[Glenn]

I live in East London, and I thought it was fine here. Until I needed to find a replacement charger for my laptop, so I headed down to my local PC World & Currys. They were closed, with a bunch of the staff outside at the entrance, turned out they were one of the victims of the rampant thugs, poor guys. Guess the charger should be the least of my worries, wonder how many other stores have been hit around my area.

Thanks for checking in, Cobalt, and I'm glad you got back safely. Sorry to hear your area has been dragged into this, and I hope those members of staff were alright.

[Cynical]

Don't blame the youth, blame the old.

I was just watching a leaked video of a polic brutality before the riot. Anonymous claims that this started the riot.

[Stacy]

I live in East London, and I thought it was fine here. Until I needed to find a replacement charger for my laptop, so I headed down to my local PC World & Currys. They were closed, with a bunch of the staff outside at the entrance, turned out they were one of the victims of the rampant thugs, poor guys. Guess the charger should be the least of my worries, wonder how many other stores have been hit around my area.

I feel bad from empolyees you met Cobalt, let's hope this end's soon.

Prime Minister is cutting his holiday short though I don't know if this would change things, maybe some more organization perhaps.

[Carbo]

Hey guys, let's try to keep this topic clean and respectful, 'kay? This is kind of a sensitive subject and I can see it getting potentially ugly.

[Stacy]

*Edit* (Please Delete)

Edited August 8, 2011 by BW199148

[Badnik Mechanic]

Don't blame the youth, blame the old.

I was just watching a leaked video of a polic brutality before the riot. Anonymous claims that this started the riot.

I don't think you should post anymore unless you have a clue as to what the stituation is and what you're talking about.

The news is claiming that it started due to the police shooting a guy who we don't yet know if he was armed or not.

However that doesn't explain nor excuse people rioting or going out burning down buildings and causing a panic... it certainly doesn't explain why we've now got people rioting in Birmingham who probably have about as much connection to London and this guy other than they share the letter n in their city names.

Meanwhile, this master criminal decided that this was a good idea.

HEY GUYZ LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF I NICKED!