KIcking off in Lewisham

[purplerain]

How did my boyfriend's friend's friend know about the riots in Croydon half an hour before they happened and if he knew how come he didn't ring the police? Also, how come facebook is not being monitored more closely since people seem to be communicating through it?
This country is supposed to be able to deal with terrorists so how come it can't deal with rioters?
There is something fishy going on here.

[penguinoid]

How did my boyfriend's friend's friend know about the riots in Croydon half an hour before they happened and if he knew how come he didn't ring the police? Also, how come facebook is not being monitored more closely since people seem to be communicating through it?
This country is supposed to be able to deal with terrorists so how come it can't deal with rioters?
There is something fishy going on here.

His friend's friend? Probably just the hysterical guess-everything storm that Twitter et al became over the past few days. It's Chinese Whispers combined with Chicken Little. There were constant CONFIRMED! reports of riots and fires almost everywhere last night. Some of them, mostly by chance, turned out to be true.

I think Facebook IS being monitored as much as it can be. There's been a lot of talk about people coordinating via Blackberries, which have an encrypted messenging service, but I think the reality of the situation is that the sheer ubiquity of mobile comms has made it much easier for people to follow what's going on and get to the hotspots without having to rely on traditional media. It's been described elsewhere as the first distributed riot, and I tend to agree. There's no single coordinator, just the herd mentality distributed over the whole city via instant, mobile comms.

Now that makes the technology behind this sound bad, but I think the cleanup crews organised using the same technology shows how it isn't. The problem lies with the people using it that way.

[davegr]

What about warnings yesterday that 'hundreds of rioters were meeting at Crystal Palace Park' ?

Any truth or just rumours?

[CaptainCarCrash]

BB messenger is the reason, you know, the secret software they used to arrange it all with that is being decrypted by the police.

I live in muggers paradise but last night I was piroetting through the streets of ED with my mac book pro as a guiding light my mobile on full view and £20 notes sellotaped to my jacket.

There wasn't any one else around, I had a great time.

[alywin]

What about warnings yesterday that 'hundreds of rioters were meeting at Crystal Palace Park' ?

Any truth or just rumours?

I don't think so. I had a look on the Crystal Palace forum, the East Dulwich forum, the Forest Hill forum, and couldn't confirm anything. This may possibly have been the same mob that was suppposedly marching on Penge from CP, Sydenham from Penge, Forest Hill from Sydenham and East Dulwich from FH, or the one from Camberwell to ED.

BTW, did anything come of the reports of teenagers massing in the Newlands Park/Penge East area?

[Search East]

I was returning from Tooting Bec Athletics Track to Lower Sydenham yesterday evening, by bus.
After 5 minutes I had 'Ghost Town' by The Specials playing in my head, everywhere was deserted.

When I changed at Crystal Palace, the place was on lock down, bar the pubs that were busy. (people seemed relaxed). Waiting for a bus at the top of the Parade, I saw two police offices on patrol, crossing over in the park, it was all quite. People were out walking, exercising the dog or running, it all seemed much calmer.

[surreyman]

anyone know if the petrol station at sainsburys bell green is open ?

was closed yesterday they got looted

[leenewham]

It's all boarded up.

[Postman]

Walked down Sydenham High Street today and it was great to see a sence of normality coming back. The co-op said they were staying open to there normal closing hours. The only damage i saw was Costcutters and also the pound shop oppersite, next to the Abbey was having there widow replaced, due to possible damage maybe??

[surreyman]

It's all boarded up.

just seen this too late lol

was down there earlyer and saw great shame was only the door and window put in hope they open it up soon

[sophie]

Savacentre petrol station still closed. I think the Costcutter had been attacked on Monday night. I don't think anything out of the ordinary happened in Sydenham last night.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[snowy]

Heard a lot of sirens over past hour, anyone heard of anything happening? Saw earlier that Tesco Express had had a window smashed (and being repaired) but shop was busy and Kirkdale seemed as busy as normal.

[CATLADY]

Yes lots of sirens down Sydenham Road....maybe en route to Eltham.?? Anyone got any reports of incidents? Hopefully not....

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[westwood girl]

7 police vans and 1 police car just went flying down sydenham road towards catford way...

[CaptainCarCrash]

Master stroke delivered to quel rioting chavs.

Cut Bennefits and Evict,

Works for me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14474429

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ma ... r-14478498

The government and police have delivered a master plan that should hopefully restore order.

I think this should help to stop the chavs going garity.

I don't really like to labal people as I'm sure you are all aware but sometimes you have to find a word that fits.

[mosy]

In reply to mickcg's attached links, doesn't making people penniless and homeless give an even greater incentive to turn to crime? The logic escapes me. It's also very easy for those "with" to suggest that those "without" should have even less. Anyone remember the film "Trading Places"?

Anyway, seems quiet here (near Syd station) and High Street normal earlier this evening. Has anyone else noticed that in "normal times" can often hear helicopters but I haven't heard any at all lately. (Just heard a brief siren, so hope one siren doesn't augur badly.)

[RedRevolver]

I can hear quite a few sirens still. Have been able to all night.

Helicopters were common a couple of nights ago, maybe one or two seen yesterday but none today.

I'm in Lower Sydenham though, so don't know if it's just a geographical distinction.

[leenewham]

In reply to mickcg's attached links, doesn't making people penniless and homeless give an even greater incentive to turn to crime? The logic escapes me. It's also very easy for those "with" to suggest that those "without" should have even less. Anyone remember the film "Trading Places"?

For once Mosy I agree with you. I think the threat is potentially powerful, but I'm not sure what it actually achieves.

Trading Places was based on a great film with Gregory Peck called The Million Pound Note.

[mosy]

It's comforting that you agree with me for once (your words) Or not, do either of us care that much? I'm happy always to agree to differ if appropriate

However, I didn't know about the basis for the film (ta) - I do remember a line from the Peck film where the two sisters(?) confirm that (paraphrased) "He's pixilated", "Oh yes, pixilated," and wonder if that doesn't apply to some of the officers and politicians making "robust" suggestions. In the Salford article, apparently even a parent could be evicted.

On TV, Conservative MP for Clapham, Jane Ellison, tells parents to question and if suspect to march their children down to the police station. We (son & I) saw this "piece to camera" on BBC TV and he laughed instantaneously. Well, it seemed a bit unlikely to me in principle, but it was pointed out to me that trying to frogmarch a healthy teenager anywhere was optimistic in the extreme, so the idea in the link of evicting the parent also is to me beyond the pale in fairness terms, quote "Councillor Paul Andrews from Manchester City Council said: "If you are a tenant of any of our properties, and you or your children are found to be involved in the looting we will use whatever powers are available to us to make sure you are thrown out." Endquote. from here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ma ... r-14478498

However responsible or otherwise parents might be thought to be by outsiders, if they didn't perpetrate a crime themselves they could still be evicted (per the quote)? Is that just blustering, "putting the frighteners on"? I hope so as it wouldn't be justice. The politicians passing blame to parents for everything is bonkers in a climate where there are few jobs, either for youths or their parents.

[JRobinson]

not really (imo) - if the child is under the age of responsibility, then anything they do is the responsibilty of the parent. if the child commits an offence that done by an adult would result in being evicted, then by that rule, the parents, who are responsible, should be evicted. end of.