<p>I get that the initial violence broke out Saturday in reaction to a fatal police shooting in a lower income neighborhood. But whats fueling the massive riots throughout the city? News suggests that social media and copycat rioters are to blame. The photos of the fires and people jumping from buildings is upsetting. And the representatives from the Olympics are arriving today. Oh my. To anyone who has a child or family member there. Best wishes that all are safe</p>
<p>Yikes. No comments on the London riots? Really?</p>
<p>It is very disturbing and scary. I am a bit flummoxed that they are only considering using water cannons in such a serious situation.</p>
<p>I’m awed. But, I just don’t know what to make of it. So many questions. Why did the police shoot that man? Why is the public rioting? What is the rioters’ objective? What do they want? Is this the Londoners’ version of Rodney King? </p>
<p>I don’t get it.</p>
<p>From talking with people in the various English cities this is affecting, this is what I have gathered:</p>
<p>-A young black man was fatally shot by the police. In a country where police usually don’t have guns, this is a particularly big deal.</p>
<p>-They claimed he was an armed drug dealer, but the bullet allegedly shot at them has been confirmed to be police issue.</p>
<p>-In that area, the cops have a reputation of racism, so the family decided to peacefully protest in front of the police station.</p>
<p>-A bunch of people (mainly “Afro-Caribbean,” according to a black man in London I’ve talked to), enraged, started rioting through the streets.</p>
<p>-A lot more people, of all races, got pretty ****ed, too, and started setting police stations on fire.</p>
<p>-A lot lot more people thought “Hey, this would be a GREAT time for looting!” In certain areas, all stores have been stripped of goods, except for the slightly hilarious fact that not a single bookstore has been touched as of yet.</p>
<p>-After the first night, the riots lost all protest meaning, and just became a bunch of young people setting things on fire and looting, though some are trying to claim that the “economic climate” sparked this.</p>
<p>-The British PM, David Cameron, has been totally incompetent, and the police are mostly ineffective.</p>
<p>I saw a report that it is about the angst of the working class.a participant was being interviewed and said something like “the US has the tea party and we have this.”. Huh?</p>
<p>jym, those were the first words out of my mouth this morning: “What’s up with the London riots?” I hadn’t really been paying attention (too busy curled up in the corner in a fetal position thinking about my 401K).</p>
<p>Apparently some news people consider this the French revolution, uprising of the poor against the rich.</p>
<p>[There</a> is a context to London’s riots that can’t be ignored | Nina Power | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk](<a href=“There is a context to London's riots that can't be ignored | Nina Power | The Guardian”>There is a context to London's riots that can't be ignored | Nina Power | The Guardian)</p>
<p>It is nothing to do with anti public spending cuts, the underclass, rich people - or even the alleged drug dealer shot dead by police (whose family protested peacefully)…</p>
<p>…it is about a large sub section of society who want lots of free ‘stuff’ and somehow think they are entitled to it, and who are willing to blame anyone/thing rather than themselves: racism, the economy, etc… These people are big on ‘rights’ and low on the responsibilities that come with those rights</p>
<p>The people looting have expensive cars and clothes, Blackberries, etc… I know because I live in one of the areas affected and was watching them from my living room window. Big Hummers and BMWs coming along, big blokes getting out with baseball bats with their faces covered, going into an electrical retailer and carrying out TVs etc. Another friend was filming it all, and they saw him and tried to attack him. Looters were leaving stuff in the front yards of houses in my street whilst they went back for more. PARENTS were helping their kids loot. </p>
<p>It was truly terrifying, not least because the police did nothing for TWO HOURS whilst our neighborhood’s main street was smashed</p>
<p>The police are so used to people complaining about their tactics or being accused of racism that they are completely overwhelmed and have no idea what to do. Most people here want a curfew and the army on the streets, and water cannon/rubber bullets used… but that will never happen here</p>
<p>This lady in Hackney, East London sums it up: “fight for a cause, not just cause you want to go down to Footlocker and thief some shoes”
[Video:</a> London riots: Woman confronts rioters in Hackney - Telegraph](<a href=“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8690275/London-riots-Woman-confronts-rioters-in-Hackney.html]Video:”>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8690275/London-riots-Woman-confronts-rioters-in-Hackney.html)</p>
<p>And in Clapham (my area), we were out in force to help clean up today
[Video:</a> London riots: Clapham comes together for community clean-up - Telegraph](<a href=“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8691837/London-riots-Clapham-comes-together-for-community-clean-up.html]Video:”>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8691837/London-riots-Clapham-comes-together-for-community-clean-up.html)
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<p>People are posting pictures and names of rioters on Facebook site: Support the Met Police against the Rioters</p>
<p>I am sitting in my living room and all I can hear are police sirens and helicopters… here we go again…</p>
<p>^^This reminded me of the WTO protests in my city: lots of self-proclaimed anarchists, looters and other trouble-makers descended on the city to wreak havoc. There were legitimate, organized demonstrations against WTO practices, but it was the looter crowd that kept the cops busy.</p>
<p>didnt something like that happen after Katrina?</p>
<p>This has nothing to do with protesting government cuts and is all to do with chavs taking the opportunity to cause mayhem and destruction in the UK. At this point, it’s mostly just copycat violence and people saying “hey, I can get in on that!”.</p>
<p>Where is ‘The Clash’ when you need them? London Calling.</p>
<p>On a serious note, didn’t similar protests happen in Brixton about 20 some years ago? British society has never been as egalitarian as it claims to be.</p>
<p>Those riots in the 80s were a reaction from many black neighborhoods who were on the receiving end of some pretty unpleasant racism from the police. This is NOT the case today, where the police have worked hard to overcome this, and to build relations with those communities, and also where accusations of racism make policing even more difficult than it already is</p>
<p>British society is not egalitarian in the slightest and is becoming less so as time goes on. Nowadays it is less to do with your background and everything to do with money. The abolition of selective state schools and free university tuition are adding to this, along with a staling economy and high rates of youth unemployment</p>
<p>However, none of this is what the looting is about - it is pure lawlessness and a desire for material goods without having to do anything to earn it. These people aren’t looting because they are starving - they’re looting for new sneakers and flat screen TVs and to show off to their friends about being ‘hard’</p>
<p>People are fighting back though. In my neighborhood last night, people formed a cordon preventing looters from moving further up the street - this was necessary as there were no police around. In Turkish and Bengali areas of London today, looters have been chased away by shop owners and those attending afternoon prayers at a Mosque, who were determined to protect their neighborhoods</p>
<p>Interesting opinion piece linked to on MSNBC:</p>
<p>[Riots</a> were a long time coming for black Britons](<a href=“http://www.thegrio.com/opinion/riots-were-long-time-coming-for-black-britons.php]Riots”>Riots were a long time coming for black Britons - TheGrio)</p>
<p>SoccerGirl, I can see how much of the ongoing looting is the work of simple hooligans trying to take advantage of the chaos. But let’s not kid ourselves: this conflict started out as racial and economic in nature.</p>
<p>Yes, the austerity measures aren’t working.</p>
<p>Was their credit rating lowered? How is their deficit?</p>
<p>Reminds me of the L.A riots. One incident with police sparked a huge chaotic, destructive mess.</p>