Monday, August 08, 2011

The News I Won't Be Bringing You In Pictures

As I type, the sound of helicopters is dominating the area. Since the police shot dead a young man on Thursday, rent-a-thug and looters-R-us have been devastating parts of London, and tonight it is Lewisham's turn.

The TV news is showing burning vehicles in a back street I can recognise from the aerial pictures. The camera is panning along the High Street, where there are lines of cops, but very few civilians. Maybe after all it isn't the worst thing in the world that we have a vast police station in the middle of the High Street, as so far they seem to have prevented any serious problems. I do feel sorry for those stuck in the traffic jams caused by the roads being cordoned off.

Let's hope things remain uneventful.

14 comments:

  1. Just watching the news...hope things quieten down fast...bloody stupid, all of them

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  2. I listen to BBC Overnight and listened to the news reports. It sounded rally frigthening. A lot of young people with nothing constructive to do often becomes destructive. I too hope things cool off and calm down.

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  3. Val I just saw someone mention this on Facebook so I looked it up. Are you OK? I read that it's spreading to Lewisham and I was concerned for your neighbourhood!

    Why do these people think rioting is an acceptable way of expressing one's self? Remember after the Rodney King verdicts, how LA and other cities erupted in violence? I don't get it.

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  4. Anonymous7:44 am

    I was just going to mention that, JoJo, the LA riots remind me of what's happening in London. Do be careful, Val.

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  5. Soon after I published this post, the news helicopters went off to somewhere there was more action, and after that, as far as I know, things here fizzled out. Far be it from me to say that the presence of the helicopters themselves, and earlier depots that trouble was expected in Lewisham, might have sparked the little bit of trouble we did see.

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  6. Anonymous8:47 am

    I just heard on the radio that the idiot cousins of Rent-A-Mob and Looters-R-Us are kicking off all over the place now, including one of my nearest cities, Nottingham. No justifcation for it - NONE whatsoever. If they want to fight and burn things, I'd like to round 'em up and drop them on Afghanistan, although they might find there's a distinct lack of 50" plasma TV's to steal....

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  7. my heart breaks for the hardworking and honest victims who have lost their homes and livings because of these mindless anarchists - i read somewhere they may not even get paid out because of a small print clause of non-payment due to civil unrest - there is never an excuse for this thuggish behaviour

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  8. Stay safe. "People", if you can call them that, can be such selfish idiots.

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  9. The images from London have been horrifying. Stay safe, Val.

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  10. I saw that on TV last night. That's frightening. I hope you're OK, Val.

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  11. I didn't realize that you were so near the epicenter. Please take care.

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  12. Yes, stay safe, both Val and Diane! This is such an awful thing to be happening in such a civilized and beautiful country.

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  13. Stay safe Val. As Diane just said to me...This has Got To STOP.

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  14. Been out of it for a while. Wanted to check on you and I hope things improve soon. I just don't understand the mindset of people who riot.

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