London: Rioters arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

[Turborama]

Source: AP

Posted: 08/08/2011 01:03:45 AM PDT
Updated: 08/08/2011 09:47:58 PM PDT

LONDON—British police say three people have been arrested over the alleged attempted murder of a police officer as violent riots swept through London for a third night and spread to other cities for the first time.

London police said early Tuesday that the suspects were detained and arrested in the Brent area of north London, after a police officer was struck by a car and hospitalized.

The officer and a colleague, who suffered minor injuries, had stopped a number of cars in the belief that the occupants had been involved in the looting of a nearby electrical store.

Police say in a statement the officer was seriously hurt as one of the cars drove away from the scene. It was later stopped and the three people inside were arrested.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_18637687?nclick_check=1

---

There is nothing noble or admirable about what these yobs are doing. I have seen an interview with a terrified old lady who woke up to see masked robbers in her bedroom, reports of psychos beating up a bus driver and a guy who tried to help him, family businesses burnt down (that enormous fire was a furniture business which had been in the same family for 5 generations) and/or robbed of all their stock, numerous cars burnt for no reason whatsoever, the list goes on.

The media are calling them "protesters" but this misnomer of these recreational rioters/thieves demeans the real political protesters.

Anyone who sympathizes with this mindless violence and theivery need to ask themselves, "How would I feel if it was my mother who was woken up by masked thieves in her house?", "How would I feel if I went to my car and it was a burnt wreck?", "How would I feel if I saw a bus driver getting beaten up for earning an honest living?", "How would I feel if my family business had been robbed and burnt to the ground?"

[Demeter]

1. I've seen this movie before--Detroit, 1967

When the poverty became too grinding and the oppression too great. This is the kind of population explosion that comes of corruption.

[newfie11]

12. me too. WATTS in the 60's

[No Elephants]

2. I am not sure why a home invasion was indisputably associated with protests?

I read about elderly people, especially women, being robbed in the U.S., even raped, for pity sakes, with absolutely no protests about anything, even peace, going on in their city or town.

I agree protesting is not an excuse for harming the elderly. That is not my point.

As for the alleged attempted murder of police during a demonstration, I'll reserve judgment until all the facts are in (if that is ever possible during heated demonstrations).

[Violet_Crumble]

3. This isn't a demonstration. It's looting, destruction of homes, and rioting...

This isn't a political protest, it's exactly what Turbo called it - mindless violence and thievery. They terrorised residents, burnt homes and businesses down, stole what they could and they don't deserve a shred of respect or sympathy from any of us. And this is coming from someone who supported past protests where police have been too heavy-handed, because they were political and not just ransacking and looting like this is...

[dipsydoodle]

4. "stole what they could"

In some instances they stole what they "thought" they could carry and then failed - on tv news I saw large flat screen tvs etc discarded by the roadside along with plunder which in retrospect I guess they decided they just didn't want.

[No Elephants]

15. Yes, I got that. How about my question about a home invasion, though?

And please see Reply 16.

[Violet_Crumble]

17. Because it wasn't associated with protests.

What's been happening in London wasn't protests, but rioting and destruction. And while the rioting was happening and resources spread thin, it would have been a field day for criminals knowing that the police weren't round....

[coalition_unwilling]

30. It's violence and thievery all right, but I'm not so sure about the

"mindless" pejorative you're throwing around:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/10/world/europe/10britain.html?pagewanted=2&hp

Walking down Camden High Street with a black garbage bag over his shoulder, Tom Moriarty, a musician who lives in Camden, said the unrest had been caused by something “fundamental about how people feel. It’s down to life being a bit harder and people feel they’re not being heard.”

Whatever you may think of the sentiments expressed, 'mindless' is the last word I would use to describe them.

[Turborama]

5. They're not "protests" or "demonstrations", as anyone who has been following the news would know.

And that old lady was in the same street a riot was taking place in.

Regardless, it's obvious that, due to the police being spread so thin by the rioting all over London, burglars are making hay while the sun shines.

[No Elephants]

16. Still does not prove her home invasion was related to the protests (or riots, if you prefer).

An elderly woman left Cairo because people were breaking into her home during the protests, which also had some violence. Doesn't mean there was definitely a cause and effect between the protest (or riots) and the breakins.

BTW, not all protests are peaceful or orderly. Some protests are indeed riotous or violent and end in looting and the like. Hence the need to describe those that are as peaceful protests or orderly protests. I did not describe these protests that way.

I know of nothing that says a demonstration or a protest is synonymous with "peaceful" or "orderly." Demonstrations/protests get out of hand. Some of them do devolve into rioting looting and violence, as with the aftermath of MLK's death.

Doesn't negate their original nature as protests, especially when economic conditions are the root cause.

IIRC, some of these people--a group of about 2000 or 3000 black people, did protest peacefully originally. Someone in media asked why they had changed their tactics and the reply was that no one, including media, had ncovered their peaceful protests.

And the stopping of cars on suspicion of having been involved in looting--Are we sure that had nothing to do with skin color?

But, please do excuse me for having posted that I would reserve judgment until all the facts are in. I realize that is not the way it goes on message boards. I repent of my iconclastic ways.

[Violet_Crumble]

18. Since when has destroying small shops and people's homes been protesting?

What were these mobs protesting against? There were initial protests early in the piece, but the rioting came after that, and the family of the man killed by police have spoken of their opposition to the rioting.

[Turborama]

27. Marauding gangs used chaos as cover for housebreaking

Kiran Randhawa, Health and Social Affairs Correspondent
9 Aug 2011

Terrified householders had their homes broken into in west London while they slept as marauding gangs used the cover of the riots to commit burglaries.

Multi-million-pound properties in Madeley Road in Ealing were targeted by criminals as thinly stretched police lines tackled troublespots elsewhere.

One man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "My cousin's house was broken into. She was completely terrified as she was sleeping when they broke down the front door.

"Her neighbour, who has two small children, also had his home broken into. These people just had no fear."

Full article: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23976780-marauding-gangs-used-chaos-as-cover-for-housebreaking.do

[dipsydoodle]

6. Sooner or later there will be a death

1005:

A woman jumps from a burning building in Surrey Street last night in London as rescuers prepare to catch her.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14449675

[Bosonic]

37. It might well be a looter

Seeing lots of chatter of vigilante groups starting up.

Apropos of nothing:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/movers-and-shakers/sports/

Hmmm....

[BooScout]

7. It's strange to me.....

That the people sympathizing with these gangbangers are living thousands of miles from the UK and have no idea what we are seeing over here.

These are in NO WAY protesters. They are criminals taking advantage of the situation so they can rob, steal and commit mayhem. I hope whoever they are able to ID is sentenced to the maximum possible imprisonment.

[dipsydoodle]

maximum possible

for aggravate burglary where we both are in UK is life imprisonment although that is generally used only for wrap ups.

All holding cells in the Metropolitan area are now full and they've started shipping those arrested out to the local counties.

You can keep an eye on stuff here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14449675

nb video content probably not viewable outside of the UK

[mwooldri]

problem lots of the rioters are under 16.

once you get to be 16 then you're adult. under that, then you're considered to be a minor and would be tried and sentenced as such.

The video content is viewable outside the UK on that page while it is operational but it is dreadfully slow because there is so much worldwide interest that the video stream is slow, slow slow.

[MellonCollie]

11. I noticed that too

They seem to think this is some kind of 'uprising' by the poor against the rich. Truly bizarre!

[dipsydoodle]

13. Poor against the rich ?

One of the reports last night from the Clapham area from a pro reporter close to the scene was a BMW X5 parking up , the occupants going off to loot , back to the car to load up and then away.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

19. young girl on bbc radio said last night it was 'bored kids from posh schools"

She was driving with her dad to pick up a friend and said she recognized several kids from her upscale neighborhood.

my guess is that the kids who were involved the first night are maybe not the same bunch as the last 2 nights.


:shrug:

[primavera]

21. BooScout, can you help me out?

I'm afraid I've been over in GD Presidency arguing philosophy for the past few days and have largely missed the bus on what's going on in London. What I've been able to glean from the news would seem to suggest that the triggering event for these riots was Cameron's efforts to take a page from the Teabagger Handbook and impose draconian austerity measures in the midst of economic crisis, chiefly upon the poor. In one article I read, even the police expressed sympathy for the cause of social unrest.

Clearly, the extent of violence and indiscriminate property destruction strongly suggests that there are at least some criminal opportunists amongst the protestors who are, as you say, merely taking advantage of the disorder to loot. But you seem pretty comfortable describing these people as criminals and not protestors. If these riots are not politically motivated reflections of social unrest in response to unjust social policies, then what was the triggering event that caused thousands of criminals and hooligans to spontaneously take to the streets?

[bdamomma]

32. me too, I hope they catch these thugs and prosecute them

to the fullest extent of the law, there is no reason to burn up local shopkeepers livelihoods.

[dipsydoodle]

8. #riotcleanup now the hottest twitter tag

Link to the tag is doin' the rounds on FB here in the UK

[indurancevile]

9. provocateurs & right-wing reaction = psyops. great way to get people to go along with

the nazi program.

freikorps

people start saying, "can't anyone protect us from this violence? why should our tax money go to support yobs! fuck them all, just protect us!"

then the nazis come.

[Nihil]

26. There was some of that with the "student riots" earlier but not in these cases.

There were provocateurs active in some of the "student protests"
who were desperately trying to heat things up but being largely
spotted & sidelines by the actual students present.

This time there are just thieves & scumbags.

[indurancevile]

36. there was a good deal more than that. and it is just your opinion that

these people are "just thieves & scumbags". you have no knowledge but what you read on the internet -- which is pretty useless.

[Nihil]

39. Wrong.

I work in London. Most of my colleagues live in London - some in areas
that were affected - and my knowledge is far better than some jerk who
only "read on the internet" about it.

Thieves & scumbags ... and their inevitable defenders. :eyes:

[dipsydoodle]

10. Youngest arrested last night was 11 years old.

That was in the London Borough of Newham.

LB Newham is the host Borough for the 2012 Olympics.

[Violet_Crumble]

20. But don't you get it? That 11 year old is a brave political prisoner!

He probably set off from home, full of righteous anger at the way the bourgeois fascists who own small businesses just suck in all that wealth! ;)

Has the rioting died down now? My daughter was talking to a friend in London who seems to think it has. Also, do you think what's happened might affect confidence in London's ability to hold a successful Olympics?

[dipsydoodle]

25. Don't think it will have any bearing on the Olympics

Given that the number of police who will be out tonight has been increased from last night's 3000 to 16000 I think it might quieten down.

Police will also now be armed with plastic bullets........just breaking. They were last used in Northern Ireland.

[dipsydoodle]

14. First death

BBC Breaking News

A 26-year-old man shot in a car in Croydon last night has died in hospital, Scotland Yard says.

[dipsydoodle]

22. Supporting the Met Police against the London rioters

has picked up a community of 535,000 supporters on FB in less than 24 hours.

They're naming and shaming the rogue twitter a/s which are then being shut down fast and furious.

[mwooldri]

23. "Protesters" ???? Which media outlets are calling them "Protesters" ???

I have not heard the BBC refer to these rioters as protesters. Yes there was a protest 3 days ago outside a police station about a shooting but that got hijacked by rioters, and spawned from there.

[Turborama]

28. Sky News were yesterday.

They've stopped now.

[Bragi]

34. The right-wing agrees: there is no political meaning to it all

Bipartisan consensus rocks!

[Turborama]

40. Here you go: London rioters are not 'protesters', admits BBC

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/aug/10/london-rioters-not-protesters-bbc

[dipsydoodle]

24. Plastic bullets now authorised for use.

1434:

A bit more on the Met's confirmation that plastic bullets, or baton rounds to give them their proper name, will be made available to officers. They have been used before in Britain although it is not thought this was in a public order situation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14449675

[dipsydoodle]

29. Other death

1548:

Scotland Yard releases more information on the death of a 26-year-old man found shot in the head in Croydon last night. It statement says initial inquiries indicated the man had travelled to the area with friends. "It is believed the group became involved in an altercation with a group of approximately nine individuals. This altercation culminated in a vehicle pursuit involving three vehicles which commenced in Scarbrook Road, Croydon, passing along the A232 flyover into Duppas Hill Road where the victim was shot."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14449675

[Stella_Artois]

31. I'll let this young lady talk for me

A member of a group of ordinary members of the public cleaning up the mess in Liverpool.

[Bragi]

33. Then I'll let this wise young lady talk for me

Riots are about power, and they are about catharsis. They are not about poor parenting, or youth services being cut, or any of the other snap explanations that media pundits have been trotting out: structural inequalities, as a friend of mine remarked today, are not solved by a few pool tables. People riot because it makes them feel powerful, even if only for a night. People riot because they have spent their whole lives being told that they are good for nothing, and they realise that together they can do anything – literally, anything at all. People to whom respect has never been shown riot because they feel they have little reason to show respect themselves, and it spreads like fire on a warm summer night. And now people have lost their homes, and the country is tearing itself apart.

http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2011/08/panic-on-streets-of-london.html

[Stella_Artois]

35. Yes its about power.

They need electricity to power the electrical goods they are stealing. Of course, they are stealing because they have no respect. Poor things.

[War Horse]

38. Taking advantage of the situation

the guy who got shot by the police, his grieving family, the volatile situation and tensions between the police and local communities for mindless (yes, mindless) destruction and looting... despicable.