Tottenham Riots

[food_theneedoftheweak2392]

Sooo what part of this had to do with the police shooting someone?

 

[KNAPSACK]

The quiet protest about an armed criminal being shot (?!) was hijacked by the usual "rent-a-mob" that always comes out the woodwork after a scuffle started

So in other words, nothing - it was just an excuse used by worthless scum

 

[bellae]

Better question would of been why the shooting was protested? The article in the op has a line about him being in a car and possibly a set up by the police but it didn't make much sense to me. Also there seems to have been a couple of cop shootings recently.

 

[AmIaNerdm]

It was protested for the usual reasons - the family look at the man as a saint who gave bibles out to orphans and who somehow inexplicably got shot*

Everyone else sees an armed criminal who took a shot at a police officer and lost the subsequent gun fight












*massive exaggeration for effect

 

[kitty_12skizto]

Looks like it's spreading to Edmonton area.

I always had my eye on that LCD TV in the shop window of Currys.

 

[DomaYa]

Can you hand out cookies and tell jokes untl I can get a train? A nice tv'd make up for missing the EDL protest here the other week

 

[yaecrazy]

Tottenham V Arsenal.

 

[CheyenneD]

Hummm, really?

Looting, burning cars, buildings and beating up journalists is a sign of a healthy democracy?
To me, it is the sign of a sick and lost society.


Osu!

 

[stelthyzebra]

Yeah, the set up they have in places like China and North Korea is much better.

The protests are a sign of a healthy democracy. The riots are a sign of criminals taking advantage of those protests.

 

[SpaceCowboy1]

I can not hand out cookies as Firefox has ate them all.

 

[mdeclerc1016]

Sign of the times I suspect. I have heard it on reasonable account that the Met. were very worried about riots breaking out in 2008, let alone now at the begining of austerity times.

Now 3 years on, with a potentially more serious financial crisis, any socially deprived area like Tottenham (which has never really recovered from the 1985 riots and associated stigma - IMH0) is a potential tinder-box.

This is not excusing the wanten violence, looting and social disrepect; merely a partial explanation.

Unfortunately I expect more of this.

 

[PamelaDtmidget12_]

Millwall vs West Ham is a much more serious scrap.

 

[lilroy]

My wife heard the news the day before the riot when they reported on the incident that started it all.

Apparently the guy that was shot and killed opened fire on police and a bullet hit one. Luckily for the officer in question it lodged in his radio and he was alive. It was at that point that the armed officers returned fire and the guy was killed.

However this is unlikely to be repeated untill the IPCC has completed their investigation, purely because it is now part of that ongoing investigation.

Personally I think violent protest has its time and place, and this was not it. As has already been mentioned it was hardly "sticking it to the man" when they burnt down houses, businesses and schools. However if there was any reason to believe the IPCC investigation was biased, then maybe a riot would be an idea.

 

[bhupinderk]

The solution to being pissed at the police is to burn your community down and get your arse kicked by them? Seems logical. Don't get me wrong I think violence can be a useful tool but thats a battle they ain't going to win.

 

[pumpkinandapple]

In this country (the UK) I'm inclined to disagree. Like almost any other country the police force is a time minority when compared to the population of a city. Policing works by agreement, in effect it works because we say it does. If everyone just changed their mind it wouldn't last long.

Ultimately the police need to carry out their investigation properly for that exact reason. To maintain community belief in the police.

Of course burning your commnity down to the ground just demonstrates that it's a group of morons rather than a concerted move against authority for a justified cause, and of cause all reason for any protest/riot will evaporate if it can be proved that the dead guy was the one who shot first.

P.S. Sorry for poor spelling, my spell checker seems to be broken

 

[ShannonH]

If it proves to be an isolated incident then its possible to label the rioters as a bunch of morons. It may be justified to dismiss the neighbouring Enfield rioters as cashers-in to the same violence. Bear in mind that there were student riots a few months back, and you can see the begining of a trend.

The 1980s had more or less continious riots and serious clashes between unions and police forces. The current spats are not at that level yet, but you can see that there is the potential for these problems to become more pronounced.

Cutting Police numbers and the ridiculous bureacracy that Police departments have to engage in do not help these matters, but I doubt that much can be done about this in the short to medium term.

The UK is not unique in suffering riots like this. These kind of riots are pretty commonplace in French cities and break out almost every year now. If you look at Greece, where there is very heavy austerity and social reaction by way of riots; it is not difficult to see what can come here - if our Government does not deal with the circumstances of these and other riots i.e. its not just a Policeing matter.

The Police do their job to the best of their ability, but if their citizens dont work, take drugs, deal in criminality etc - along with Police department budget cuts; then its not difficult to see the outcome.

 

[Leather]

I ran through the scenario in my head after reading your post and while you're right about numbers I disagree we have the final say. Simple version:
Riot starts, is met by police. Police are outnumbered and forced to fall back. Polcie bring in mounted and dog units but are still too outnumbered. They bring in other constabularies and start using tear gas/baton rounds.
Unless the entire population of Britian join in the riot would eventually fizzle out and if it hit proper "oh ****" levels the riot gets put down by the military.

Look at countries like Syria or Libya: Military outnumbered by civilians but tanks and air support make for one hell of an equaliser and that's in countries where civilians can get hold of firearms with more ease. Egypt only pulled through because the military coup'd and I don't see that happening here over an officer shooting someone who already fired at them.

I've blown that out of proportion sine it would never get that serious just because some community is pissed about an investigation. Far more likely there would be some upheaval, the police would start getting heavy and the protestors would fizzle themselves out against shields and nightsticks.


The police are hated or at least unpopular already. The police are always ridden hard here and I doubt Tottenham are one of the areas with a lot of love towards them. There was stuff going around about the Tomlinson (sp?) killing with the police trying to do a cover up and the worst thing that happened was some bad press that they already had from the kettling and youtube footage of officers actually using the force they're allowed to use. There was some more stuff like that after that dude shot those people then put one in his own head. We collectively are so unwilling to say a good word about polcie we complained when they may have antagonised someone who'd gone on a shooting spree and already murdered a few people.


Which there's no reason to doubt. i have no idea how good CO19 are in comparison to other police firearm units but I'm pretty sure if they shoot first you don't get a chance to fire back especially when you're stuck in a car.

 

[TychoVhargon]

I can't see poverty ever being a valid excuse for riots. By that measure there should be riots every day and night. As for there being nothing for kids to do. Complete rubbish that's been spouted for decades. The fact is some kids think it's cooler to be in a gang getting into fights and causing trouble than it is to join a dorky youth club and play table tennis.

 

[DRNumbskull]

Firstly there was and is no political motive for this current riot in Haringey. As Hannibal has mentioned previously its a protest march against a person dying after an exchange of fire with armed police.

Latchers and leeches came along and started up a mob and have essentially destroyed their own community area. Franchise shops as well as poor sole traders have been looted and homes have been burnt down.
Muggings and car jackings of local residents have also occured.

This apparently in the name of the person who shot a gun at Police who some members of the public states "would never do such a thing".

 

[bl1tz1n]

it never fails to astound how quickly a liberal will forsake there values in the name of state repression, if you had ever been kettled I assure you would not condone it, it would only have made things worse. and in this type of riot would never have worked for long.