London riots: 'People are fighting back. It's their neighbourhoods at stake'

The Guardian ^ | Wednesday 10 August 2011 | Peter Beaumont, Jasmine Coleman and Sandra Laville

[The Bronze Titan]

When the rioters came to attack the premises of Kurdish and Turkish businesses in Hackney's Stoke Newington High Street and Kingsland Road on Monday night, the owners were waiting for them. "It was between about nine and 10 at night," said Yilmaz Karagoz, sitting in his coffee shop next to a jeweller's shop that has been shuttered since Sunday when the rioting began and a pharmacy that closed a day after. "There were a lot of them. We came out of our shops but the police asked us to do nothing. But the police did not do anything so, as more came, we chased them off ourselves." ... read more

[Leroy S. Mort]

The staff from a local kebab restaurant ran at the attackers, doner knives in their hands. "I don't think they will be coming back," Karagoz said.

[Tennessee Nana]

Lady Thatcher was more of a man than some of those ...

[Biggirl]

Not surprised about the UK police turning in the other direction. They are NOT like the American Police SWAT teams in the USA. But then, they are fomer, the SWAT teams, military folks.

[AD from SpringBay]

Something I’ve wondered about and haven’t seen discussed is the London Cameras. A few years ago London installed cameras everwhere. What good are they? Are the tapes going to be reviewed and will the rioters be brought to justice? Or are they merely for observation for other purposes?

[Biggirl]

You got it!

Lady Thatcher had MORE CROWN JEWELS than the current UK PM.

[wyowolf]

My neighbor’s car got stole last night right out of his driveway
We heard the dog ‘a barking, we never paid them any mind
And Mary says she’s gonna lock the door from now on when we go away
I’ve been walking around this farm wondering if it’s time

Time to get a gun, that’s what I been thinkin’
I could afford one if I did just a little less drinkin’
Time to put something between me and the sun
When the talking is over it’s time to get a gun

Last week a government man was there when I walked out of my back door
He said “I’m sorry to bother you ma’am” it don’t matter anymore
‘Cause even while we’re talking right here where we stand
They’re making plans for a four-lane highway and a big ole overpass

Time to get a gun, that’s what I been thinkin’
I could afford one if I did just a little less drinkin’
Time to put something between me and the sun
When the talking is over it’s time to get a gun

Mary says she’s worried about herself and her kids
She’s never known anybody had a gun and her daddy never did
Well I think it should be up to me ‘cause when it’s all said and done
Somebodys gotta walk into the crowd and I wanna be that one

Time to get a gun, that’s what I been thinkin’
I could afford one if I did just a little less drinkin’
Time to put something between me and the sun
When the talking is over it’s time to get a gun

[Biggirl]

....Or the creation of new seperate city states.

[AnAmericanAbroad]

Hear, hear!

Kudos to the Turks/Kurds for not allowing themselves to be intimidated by a pack of feral animals, and even more so, for not heeding the stupid advice of the ruling class.

Hopefully, the British can learn a lesson from these folks; grow a damn spine, and stand up for what’s right.

Oh, and raise your kids right. A little sense of honor and propriety never killed anyone.

[Socon-Econ]

The thugs committed all that mayhem without using guns? Gotta start banning pipes and baseball bats.

[Little Ray]

Hmmm. I wonder if the anti-”jack booted thug” contingent will be a bit more temperate in their thoughts about US cops now?

[miss marmelstein]

I saw Boris being yelled at by an articulate (and very attractive!) young owner of a hair salon. As always, Boris’ hair looked more upset than he did. I was really on that gal’s side. She gave it to him good. Luckily, I think only her window was broken.

[Socon-Econ]

The cop hating libertarians here at FR will learn to be more temperate when the thugs come after them.

[Charles Martel]

Major riot control duty is an entirely appropriate role for cops decked out in military-style gear. Serving no-knock warrants on sleeping suspects, not so much.

Let's try to keep things in proper perspective, hmm?

[skeeter]

"I'm scared that the police and the government will attack us if we defend our businesses. "We are being squeezed between the two."

Know your enemy.

[skeeter]

"I'm scared that the police and the government will attack us if we defend our businesses.

"We are being squeezed between the two."

[Red Boots]

My daughter lives outside of London, but has a co-worker with a son who lives in a Turkish neighborhood in London. She confirmed that in his neighborhood, the Turkish immigrants took cricket bats and attacked the rioters who entered the neighborhood intent on looting and burning, who immediately fled. Then, the reporters maligned those who so bravely defended their neighborhood and families, as violence-loving thugs.

[Zeppo]

The cop hating libertarians here at FR will learn to be more temperate when the thugs come after them.

Paint with a broad brush often?

How does that work out for you?

[PATRIOT1876]

This sounds like there are some of the WWII stiff upper lip “business as usual Brits left!
Good for them! These are the people that made Great Britain great!

If the police won't do anything to the looters, they better not DARE to stop the honest citizens from doing their job for them.

[KyGeezer]

Some young female BBC twit last night interviewed a Sikh who was standing with a large group of men defending their temple with clubs. She wanted to know why they didn’t rely on the police for protection and instead were behaving like VIGILANTES. Maybe the men had noticed the police weren’t on the streets with H&K MP5 sub-machine guns as they had been for Will and Kate’s wedding in London???

In the 1945 election after WWII, Winston Churchill lost the election to Clement Attlee. Attlee’s Labor Party promised full employment, a tax funded universal National Health Service and a cradle-to-grave welfare state. It has taken awhile to get to the “reaping” part of the Bible Proverb.

[benewton]

Not in my case.

In passed times I designed M16 sights. They had to be tested (yes, with full automatic fire) and were, at my home (we’ve 25 acres or so, and since I practice here, we also maintain a berm).

I stopped and notified the local police of the planned event, which wasn’t a problem. But what happened was that the boss was late by a day.

We fired roughly 2000 rounds, all in full auto, and had no police response at all.

I’d rather have an M16, but I’ll live with our AR’s long before I count on the cops. After all, their job is to write up the reports, while mine is to protect my wife and home. And there really isn’t any backup supporting me.