These days you just don't go to a 3D screening and they die off, or something

Does n't quite have the same emphasis as rioting over the death of a resident compared to the cinema not showing a 2D version of a film.

That was going to be my first comment. Seems a bit trivial to bitch about language when someone has died, but it really stuck in my throat - especially given the following sentence!

I'm surprised you're all cracking jokes. I feel sorry for the people who have lost all their belongings in the fires.

While I agree with your sentiment, Caz, it's the British way to cope with such things with dark humour. The tabloids refer to it as the Blitz Spirit, but I think it's just the way we do things in Blighty.

Really?
I'd've thought you've been here long enough now to know what people are like and that nothing much is precious to the people here.
No matter how someone feels about something, there'll always be people who feel less so about it.

Mark

So a gun carrying 'gangsta' was stopped by police and proceeded to discharge his firearm at them. They shot back and he's dead. And people are angry about this why?

It's murky at the moment, but there are reports the 'gangsta' was already in custody and restrained when he was shot, and also that the bullet lodged in the police officer's radio was police issue...

I must reinforce that these are reports, and I have no facts to back them up beyond the fact Channel 4 News was tweeting about it last night.

*shrug*

Was he carrying a gun? That might not be clear yet. Don't forget that the police go into spin mode when they screw up. They report this or that about the victim to manage perceptions about him. They did it when they murdered the brazilian on the tube. Also they do fire without due cause. There was a case some years ago where they shot Steohen Waldorf, because they thought he was David Martin, who was known to use guns.

The initial report on the shooting was that a policeman had also suffered gunshot wounds. I think it's somewhat unlikely the police shot one of their own, although the reports on the actual incident seem to have been lost in the subsequent public unrest and that could have been a false report. I guess we'll know once the findings of the IPCC are released.


The police do make mistakes and mistakes with firearms generally have fairly terrible consequences. However, IMO, the majority of the people rioting on Saturday and Sunday night don't actually give a toss about the guy who was shot, they're using it as a cover for good old fashioned robbery and violence.

Jon

Well there were a number of police with guns so it could have been another police men that shot him. Also there were a number of people in the car so not necessarily the man with the gun was shot.

As for the riots i will accept that the rioters were not part of the protesters. They had been protesting for several hours without incident. It was not until police attacked a 16 year old girl did it kick off.

Points taken Mark and Heather.

Just heard more is planned for today but this time in Edmonton at 4pm.

some reports are saying it was after she had thrown a stone at police officers, so its more true to say the police reacted to being attacked.. how dare they!!! Though there is some confusion still about what actually happened.
Though if she was throwing stones why should be treated differently because she was a girl and how on earth are the Police expected to know she was 16. Do they have an age restriction on rioters now days?

You always get claim and counter-claim with these things. It's one step up from the playground - 'He started it!'

I hope not, there were yobs of 10 rioting in Belfast earlier this summer.

Mark