Saturday, August 06, 2011

It's 1981 All Over Again

First rioting in Bristol. Now, a tad delayed, North London. It all feels terribly familiar ...

It's obviously a terrible thing that a man has been shot by police. While in modern Britain there can never be such a thing as a cast-iron guarantee against being shot by the police (ask the late Harry Stanley), and I don't know the facts of this particular case, a useful general rule is not to shoot at them first.

Even the mildest of men resents being shot at. If that man is a trained marksman, who just happens to have a loaded weapon on him and several similarly armed mates in attendance, then you're really pushing your luck.

A family friend of Mr Duggan, who gave her name only as Nikki, 53, said the man's friends and relatives had organised the protest because "something has to be done" and the marchers wanted "justice for the family."

"They're making their presence known because people are not happy," she added. "This guy was not violent. Yes, he was involved in things but he was not an aggressive person. He had never hurt anyone."

Hmm.


"shops had been broken into"


I'm shocked, shocked.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

biaWhere is the 14% base rate then!!!!

Anonymous said...

Any politicians condemned the mayhem yet?

Anonymous said...

Another celebration of our vibrant and diverse society. "Liberals" will be putting out more flags (white ones of course).

Dead Dog Bounce said...

Same turf as the Broadwater Farm riots.

My suspicion is that they want a score draw on the body count. Otherwise they'll always hear that the 1985 team was better.

Ross said...

In 20 years Radio 4 & the Guardian will be describing the riots as a rebellion brought about by a desire for social justice.

kb said...

"shops had been broken into"

What would Правда do without the passive voice?

JuliaM said...

"In 20 years Radio 4 & the Guardian will be describing the riots as a rebellion brought about by a desire for social justice."

20 years..?!? They're doing it now!

Foxy Brown said...

It's all Thatcher's fault.

Anonymous said...

Early ballistics reports are suggesting that the bullet found lodged in the policeman's radio on Thursday was itself police issue.

Be interesting to see how this develops.

Anonymous said...

I visited my parents this afternoon for four hours and the noise of helicopters and police sirens didn't stop for the whole time (until 3.00pm when it started to rain!).

We were watching Sky news when my 6 year old daughter asked "...who burnt down the old co-op?...".

I replied "Bad Black People".

Which she knew was true as she could see the evidence on the TV in front of her.

Unfortunately the trouble has moved up to Enfield Town and as I can still hear a helicopter overhead (it's 9.30pm) the trouble must still be going on.

Bring in the Army and let them loose to shot all the Third World F*ckers asap!

Blognor Regis said...

Tottenham Lad,

Visited your blog earlier search for your insight.

What was the grand old building on the that's been gutted by the fire?

Anonymous said...

It was the Co-op building. People lived in flats above it.

Anonymous said...

Hi Bognor Regis,

During the war, according to my mum who I spoke to today (see my blog) it was co-op, so I suppose it was a department store originally before the co-op came it existence.

I have one really clear vivid golden memory of it from when I was 5 (1963/4) when I was allowed to choose my own Christmas present. We walked through the snow, into the store, up to the toy 'department' where I chose a lovely pop-gun (modeled) on a cowboy rifle complete with string attached cork.

Today my mum told me that during her childhood every years the basement at Christmas was turned into a Santa's grotto, and she with her friends would go and visit it on their way home from school. Some of this could have been at the tail end of the war when the Germans were still bombing Tottenham.

I'm very pissed off, but the English will rise up one day and take their revenge, God willing.

Anonymous said...

TottenhamLad: I would like to read your blog again, but on a previous occasion came across you likening black people to excrement because of their skin colour.

Blognor Regis said...

I thought it looked like the sort of fine old building which would have survived the Blitz, then it survived "regeneration" of the 1960s. It's so sad. On many levels.

Thanks for sharing your memories.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps 'something must be done' about massive 3rd world immigration?

Oh, what was I thinking?!