London Riots (ETA post #23: Brits, please sign the petition to axe rioters' benefits)

[Miss Z]

Apologies, Karen, if this is better suited to the Dog House.

As you have likely seen from news reports, there is currently terrible rioting occurring in the UK cities of London, Birmingham and Liverpool, but predominantly London.

Businesses and homes have been torched, police and bystanders attacked and injured, the violence is out of control.

I've just heard from friends, and recently on national radio, that riots have started up in Camden, the area of London I live in when at university. Some of the local entertainment industries, which Camden is famous for, have apparently been smashed up and possibly looted. I have an empty flat ready to be moved into this week in Camden. Can't say I'm not worried...

I also have a close friend, and flatmate, who lives in Lewisham, one of the worst hit areas. I'm waiting to hear from her and hope she is OK.

I've met so many people who turn their noses up at London and spent a year defending what a great place it is to live as a student... now I only feel a sorrow for the hellhole it is portraying itself as.

Please, Pet Talk, keep the people of London in your thoughts tonight as these riots continue.

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

[Karen]

We have been thinking of you, and hoping you and all you love are okay! Stay safe, Zara, and don't be afraid to run if trouble heads your way. Those long legs gotta be good for something, right? Better safe than sorry. Sending you hugs, stay away from the thugs!

[chocolatepuppy]

Thoughts and prayers going out to the people of London. Stay safe Zara.

[moosmom]

Zara,

You will be in my prayers, honey. Be safe and please let us know if your flatmate is okay.

and hugs,

Donna and fur crew

[Freedom]

I'm glad you posted, Zara, as I immediately thought of you, but wasn't sure if you were back at school yet.

With the Olympics coming up, this is really quite sad indeed. Folks have so much to be looking forward to, there.

And at least on our news, they can't quite figure out why all the anger. Yes, there was a police shooting, but the opportunists seem to have taken over.

[Asiel]

My friend sent me some pictures and a news video about this. I could hardly believe it, Britain is usually so laid back - but they have been having some trouble lately. I found this so sad , but terrifying also.

[cassiesmom]

Please, Pet Talk, keep the people of London in your thoughts tonight as these riots continue.

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

Absolutely will do! London is such a wonderful city, it is very sad to see this happening.

[lvpets2002]

Yes I saw this on the news.. I am still confused of what started it all.. Sounds like to many young thuggss with too much time on their hands.. Yes it is all so sad buttt yet so disgusting..

[phesina]

I heard on the radio today that looters are bragging and showing off their hauls on social-media sites.

Marvels of modern technology! Barf.

Prayers and wishes that these disturbances are quelled soon.

[Karen]

I did hear that some young Londoners were banding together to clean up after the riots, which is nice.

[moosmom]

What Medusa said. We're SO glad you're safe!!

All this rioting and looting reminds me of when Martin Luther King was murdered. My Dad was a news photographer and was assigned to take pictures of all the looting and rioting in the streets of Hartford, CT. He was out there at night with a hard hat on, shooting pictures of all the devastation. My Mom and I were up very late, worrying about him and his safety. Got some great pictures, but the outcome wasn't pretty.

I heard on the news that these riots were caused by someone on either FB or Twitter, insighting a riot. I have never seen so much crime and devastation in my life. I'm totally confused.

Take care of yourself, Zara!!

[Marigold2]

So glad you are ok.
But London that beautiful and elegant city, the most enchanting in all the world being looted. It is painful to think of.

[ChrisH]

Please be aware that it is not just happening in London, in fact it seems to have quietened down there.

UK riots: Trouble erupts in English cities

Live:UK riots

Karen, yes, people, of all ages, have come together to clean up, not just in London either.

England: Twitter and Facebook users plan clean up

[Miss Z]

The country now seems to be returning to normal, thank goodness. Yet, now comes the debate as to why this happened, the excuses, and the finger-pointing.

I am getting so infuriated watching the news. As the heat dies down, so reporters are getting the view from the 'other side', and interviewing the people who either condone the violence or sympathise with it.

I watched a newsclip the other night that made my blood boil. It showed a standoff between a mother from what was described as a disadvantaged community, and the owner of a pharmacy which had been damaged and looted.

Mostly, the clip showed this woman being rude to this man as she defended the young people who were rioting. She said it was down to the fact that there weren't enough community centres to give these kids something to do, and in her words 'what else were they supposed to do?'. She finished her little speech by telling the pharmacy owner, who was quite rightly shocked at her comments, that it was people like him who were to blame, and to 'shut up and jog on'. This she said in front of her young children.

People like her disgust me no end. If she is so self-righteous that she has the caption 'mother' under her name in the news report, then perhaps she should bloody well start acting like a mother and do things with her kids herself instead of leaving them to run amock and expecting the community to provide. That way, perhaps they would learn some family values that would lead to some decency and respect.

I'm also sick of the phrase 'people caught up in the riots' (used to describe those who were doing the rioting, as opposed to citizens who became surrounded by the riots as you might expect). I'm sorry, they made the conscious decision to riot. The excuse that people did what they did because everyone else was doing it, is just pathetic, and I believe once again shows the 'level' of these people.

It's more heartening to hear of other mothers who have seen pictures on the news, social media, or otherwise, of their children rioting and marched them straight to the nearest police station. Sadly, that kind of parent appears to be in the minority.

Not that it's only been kids involved in this mess, but they are the main concern to the nation right now, since it is so shocking that kids barely out of primary school must feel so little for their cities and this country.

For once, I really support our Prime Minister at this time. I just watched an interview with him on our local news, and quite frankly I am elated that he doesn't pussyfoot around trying to be PC about the reasons why people rioted. He doesn't believe that it was an uprising of an underclass disgusted at an unfair government. I don't believe that the general public buy that one either. It was a bunch of selfish, stupid individuals who saw an opportunity to cause trouble for their own personal gain, and more such individuals across the country who were dense enough to follow suit.

One of the questions in this interview was regarding convicted rioters losing their council housing (housing offered by local councils to poorer residents at a fraction of rental costs the average citizen pays). DC was asked that surely he thought embracing these people in the community would do more good than throwing them out of it, and that this proposal was unfair. His response was that they should have thought about that before they showed their disrespect for the taxpayers in the community that fund their housing. Damn right.

Meanwhile, the e-petition, to stop people who have been convicted in connection with the riots receiving state benefits, has more than 150,000 signatures. This would apply to all who have received a sentence, including those whose sentence is non-custodial, i.e. those who would still receive government handouts.

I have now been able to sign it, and urge any other Brits and UK residents to sign it too. No-one who shows such a lack of respect for their government, and the tax-payers of this nation, deserves to be funded by them.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/7337

(I think the spelling mistake is testament to the hurried fury in which it was made ).

/rant

[ChrisH]

... (housing offered by local councils to poorer residents at a fraction of rental costs the average citizen pays).

Regardless of whether or not rioters should be evicted from their council housing, I would like to take issue with you in regard to your apparent view on council housing.

Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well built homes on secure tenancies to primarily working class people at reasonable rents.

It is not offered to 'poorer residents', a vast amount of council house tenants are decent hard working people. In fact it is not 'offered' at all, it has to be applied for and can be by anyone.

Also, the rent charged is reasonable but not 'at a fraction of rental costs the average citizen pays' as you have stated.