London's Burning

[DanaC]

It's pretty horrible.

Watching the news it was just surreal.

It's like an orgy of violence and looting. What's disturbing is that so many of them are young, like really young.

Some of it seems to be due to the major disconnect between the police and the youngsters in these communities. This is the 'lost generation'. Interestingly, what appears to have sparked off at least one of the riots was apparently the police stop and searching a young lad (whom they then let go having found nothing). This seems to be a real grievance of young people now is that they are the ones being subjected to excessive stop and search these days.

Not that that's an excuse for rioting through the streets and setting fire to people's cars and property. But there are some serious questions that need asking about the relationship between police and the communities involved, particularly the youth.

I don't think it's a coincidence that this is happening when confidence in the Met is at an all time low. I'm not wholly sure what is at the root of this, but the police have one hell of a job on their hands in regaining confidence. I think the shooting just sat as an unfortunate symbol of a much deeper malaise.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Interestingly, what appears to have sparked off at least one of the riots was apparently the police stop and searching a young lad (whom they then let go having found nothing). This seems to be a real grievance of young people now is that they are the ones being subjected to excessive stop and search these days.

Not that that's an excuse for rioting through the streets and setting fire to people's cars and property. But there are some serious questions that need asking about the relationship between police and the communities involved, particularly the youth.

I don't think it's a coincidence that this is happening when confidence in the Met is at an all time low. I'm not wholly sure what is at the root of this, but the police have one hell of a job on their hands in regaining confidence. I think the shooting just sat as an unfortunate symbol of a much deeper malaise.

We live up to the expectations people have of us.

[SamIam]

Some snips from here: http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110...u_britain_riot

Parliament will return to duty on Thursday, as the political fallout from the rampage takes hold. The crisis is a major test for Cameron's Conservative-led coalition government, which includes Liberal Democrats who had long suspected its program of harsh budget restraints could provoke popular dissent...

The rioters appeared to have little unifying cause — though some claimed to oppose sharp government spending cuts, which will slash welfare payments and cut tens of thousands of public sector jobs through 2015...

...as the latest unrest spread, some pointed to rising social tensions in Britain as the government slashes 80 billion pounds ($130 billion) from public spending by 2015 to reduce the huge deficit, swollen after the country spent billions bailing out its foundering banks.

"This is the uprising of the working class. We're redistributing the wealth," said Bryn Phillips, a 28-year-old self-described anarchist, as young people emerged from a store with chocolate bars and ice cream cones.

Power to the people! Chocolate and ice cream for everyone!