Riot (for fairly limited values of riot)

[ffutures]

This morning I told some worried friends that there had been no problems in this part of London, but I spoke too soon - apparently there was a group of a couple of hundred who met up in Bishops Bridge Road, tried to knock people off motorbikes and steal them, then did some window smashing and looting in Queensway, which is a few hundred yards away, but I only heard about it after I'd left home this morning and I've been off-line all day.

There was some noise and police sirens around eleven last night, and my bike alarm went off and when I looked outside someone ran off from the front garden, but I'd assumed it was just the usual drunks etc. and someone thinking he could take a pee in the garden. But my guess now is that it was someone running from the police, who ran off because he thought the alarm would attract attention (it didn't, apart from me looking out of the kitchen window).

Just to make it clear, for anyone who was wondering - this is not politically motivated, it's just a bunch of people who think that they can get away with a bit of quick looting if they go in mob handed and start a few fires etc. while they're doing it. The people involved don't live here. Since they are in it for the money, and there is going to be a BIG police crackdown, it really isn't going to last.

Comments

[kd2.livejournal.com]

Marcus,

I feel your view of political motivation is a little narrow.All our actions are a statement of our view of society; all are political, some are Political. Mass replicated copy-cat crimes (whether that be passing off sub-prime mortgages as triple A bonds or serial looting) tend towards the latter. Some reflect our contempt of society, others the contempt we perceive society to have of us.

KD2

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I agree entirely - most of this seems to have been done out of boredom / thrill seeking, not through any sort of economic or social need. You read what people involved have said about it, the predominant attitude seems to have been that they went along with their friends for a bit of "fun"

[kd2.livejournal.com]

I concur that there was not a coherent expression of an underlying political philosophy. However, the readiness of thousands of people to undertake criminal activity at the drop of a hat shows a relationship to society, particularly the commercial and law enforcement elements, that is seriously at odds with the current parliamentary political hegemony.