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The great ire of London

Daniel Piotrowski

by Daniel Piotrowski

09 Aug 12:15pm

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Filed under: England Riots, London, London Olympics, London Riots, Riots, Sydney Olympics, Violence

220 comments

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,” the English lit great Samuel Johnson famously once said.


A whole bunch of people seem to be tired of London life lately. Or at least intent on mindlessly smashing the great city to pieces.

The past 72 hours haven’t been pretty. The Guardian is calling it the Battle of London. We’ve seen pictures of double-decker buses overturned and engulfed in flames. Looters smashing their way into stores. Rioters hurling planks of wood at bobbies. Buildings that survived two world wars destroyed by rioters.

The rampaging, which started when London taxi driver Mark Duggan was shot, has escalated over the past 24 hours to a widespread expression of rage. So why the rage?

For some time, commentators have been tossing around the notion of “Broken Britain”. The UK media talk a lot about the idea that the country has become mired in crime and is being ruined by feral youth. Britain’s sure looking pretty broken today.

The UK’s new-ish government has also jumped on the bandwagon of cutting down on government spending, shrivelling up programs for unemployed young people. Which has left lots of unemployed, London youth particularly unhappy.

It’s too early to say whether either of these factors spurred the riots, or whether it was an opportunistic crime wave, or both. But it’s fair to say they probably played a role.

While the crisis is yet to unfold fully, pundits, journos and comedians are inevitably asking: is London really ready for the Olympics next year? Broken Britain isn’t anyone’s ideal Olympic host country.

Obviously the city is facing some serious problems that could sink what should be an awesome Games next year. While the city doesn’t look ready for the Games today, the old London that it is ‘hard to get tired of’ is still there.

And that London is much, much more prepared for the Games than Sydney ever was.

Ask any Sydneysider what the second-best thing about 2000 was (the best being the Games, duh) they’ll say September 2000 was the only time Sydney’s rickety Tangaras have EVER run on time. London achieved this a long, long time ago.

Tube trains arrive at your platform every few minutes. It’s nearly impossible to be late. In terms of infrastructure, London Bridge doesn’t actually look like falling down anytime soon.

Sydneysiders were proud of the face their city showed the world in 2000. And when their city isn’t being pillaged by rioters or divided by race and class, Londoners generally have a lot to be proud of.

They’ve got the Tower of London, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and a bazillion castles. The city is steeped in history and protects its culture. Or at least the culture they’ve stolen from every continent of the earth and plonked in the British Museum.

Third, the Games are just plain coming together, even if nobody except the Iranians has any idea what the hell the Games logo is supposed to be. Preparations are on budget and on time. And just like Sydney, they’re steadily turning a part of the city that was a dump (it was actually a dump) into a place that’s pretty.

And of course, the Poms generally try really, really, really, really hard to beat Australians at anything and everything, so they’re sure doing their PB to make it better than Sydney 2000.

This is a tale of two Londons: one that’s more than ready for the Olympic flame, and one that is in flames as we speak.

Most commented

430Australia, you have nothing to fear but fear itself
390There's no one Thomson won't burn to save his skin
335Animal experiments won't cure me from cancer
313Thomson didn't answer the question everyone is asking
265Who murdered the Arts degree?
246A big day for Thomson, who thus far is guilty of nothing...
231Craig Thomson speaks. Meanwhile, in Australia...
231South Australia. It's the middle bottom bit.

220 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • Stavros says:

      12:31pm | 09/08/11

      I travelled through Europe last year for just over two months. I planned on being in the UK for two weeks. After just a few days I cut short my plans there and was on the cross-channel train to Paris within 48 hours. I found London to be souless shell of a city and compared to the rest of Europe lacking in anything I would consider culture. What is happening right now is of no surprise. Chavs have the rule of London outside of the central area and Lad and Ladette behaviour is rife.

      Reply

    • Anne71 says:

      12:45pm | 09/08/11

      Sorry, but I could not disagree more, Stavros. I loved London and found it to be far from “souless”. And what on earth do you consider to be “culture” that you would say London doesn’t have any?

    • Thomas Anderson says:

      01:06pm | 09/08/11

      I am with Anne here, London is an amazing city in so many ways. My cultural cravings were more than satisfied by the British Museum (which I enjoyed just as much as the Louvre), St Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court etc. etc. I did enjoy my entertainment as well, having visited the London Dungeon, the London Eye and Madame Tussaud’s.

      Night life was great, I love how easy London bars and clubs are with their dress codes, comfy sneakers all the way! Girls were lovely and very approachable as well, might I mention.

      There are a lot of young people, and the city tailors to them, unlike Sydney. There are always things to do, always new things being built, opened and what not, the city life truly boils, again, unlike the more stable and often boring Sydney.

    • RobJ says:

      01:42pm | 09/08/11

      ” I found London to be souless shell of a city”

      Very strange, I lived there for a number of years and didn’t share your experience.

    • Kika says:

      01:59pm | 09/08/11

      Disagree Stavros. I also travelled to Europe last year and absolutely loved London to bits. I found it the complete opposite - a thriving metropolis where the whole world was there. Everything you could want and need is there in London. I left my heart in London….

    • Daniel Piotrowski

      Daniel Piotrowski says:

      01:59pm | 09/08/11

      Have to disagree—was just there about a month ago, London blew my mind.

    • Budz says:

      02:34pm | 09/08/11

      I’m not religious but I saw a service at St Paul’s and it was honestly amazing. The acoustics in that place was just ridiculous, and with the choir singing, it was close to the highlight of my trip. Fortunately I got to drive a Ferrari around the French Riviera so St Paul’s couldn’t take top spot smile

    • Josh says:

      06:46pm | 09/08/11

      I spent quite a bit of time in London, and was always amazed at what you would find around any given corner. From a quaint little pub in Brixton to people watching in knitsbridge, it’s another story down every street.
      Sadly, some people do not agree and are now voicing their opinions. The mob mentality is rife and they will not stop until the army is called in.
      Yes, many things could have been done differently to avoid this level of disenchantment, but at this point, that does not matter.
      Stopping the anarchy is the primary goal at the moment. Once that is achieved, the death toll can be counted -and there will be one when stopping a mob- and London can be calmed again.

    • Katriona "look at these" Rowntree says:

      08:05pm | 09/08/11

      @Stavros All you need is a few days and you were able to cover all London has to offer - I’m going recommend you to Getaway.

    • Jason says:

      02:11am | 10/08/11

      London has it’s weaknesses, but if you can’t find culture and soul in London, you must be walking around with your eyes closed. Historical landmarks, war educational opportunities, nightlife, continued architectural achievements (the Shard coming up), pub community life, street performers, world gathering place, cultural festivals, the theatre, musical tradition - recently rejuvenated, strong literature traditions, ...pauses for breath… sporting history, scientific achievements, markets, traditions of royal history and pageantry! And that’s all I could think of from the top of my head. I’ve been to London many times and it can always present a new face.

    • acotrel says:

      06:58am | 10/08/11

      I was in London in 2008.  From what you’ve said it must have changed dramatically?  What have the ferals done - burnt down the whole city? It’s a lovely place to visit, has a really great feel about it. It reminds me of how Australia was when I was a kid in the forties.  It’s not the buildings, it’s the people and culture.

    • j says:

      08:24am | 10/08/11

      Stavros, i really think you have missed out on a great city, I lived in London for a number of years and loved every minute of it, so many great places to explore and so much to do…..

    • Andy says:

      09:26am | 10/08/11

      You can’t really judge a place like London after having only been there for a few days. I lived there for three years and whilst it’s not without its problems, and never would I have described it as souless.

    • Tom says:

      10:52am | 10/08/11

      I am a total curmudgeon who loathes Sydney (it is dirty, violent, sleazy and crowded) and never really wanted to travel out of Australia. Eventually a family member bullied me into going to UK for a couple of months including a week in London.

      To my complete surprise, I loved London. The vibe, the cafes, the beer, Abbey Road, Harrods, the Eye, the Thames, the sites, the history, the concerts, the twilight. We strolled down from Trafalgar square one evening to a concert at St Martin of the Fields orchestra. No queuing.

    • Tim says:

      12:30pm | 09/08/11

      When you allow a huge portion of the population to feel forgotten and disconnected, it’s no suprise they want to see the world burn.

      Reply

    • adam says:

      12:43pm | 09/08/11

      It’s also no surprise the few who feel most agrieved will attempt to burn that world. I don’t condone the actions of the rioters, don’t see how any but the most rabid could. However surely t he rational thing to do now is begin a discussion re the actual causes and possible restitution. If youth are feeling unheard and unheeded, start talkin’ to em. And listening

    • Richo says:

      01:28pm | 09/08/11

      I think you’ll find most of these people are lazy, gangster wannabe opportunists. Sorry but socialism is a failure.

    • Baz says:

      01:32pm | 09/08/11

      Why not just deport them ?

    • Craig of North Brisbane says:

      01:35pm | 09/08/11

      I can’t see how anyone would be surprised.  You take things away from young people who have a lot of time on their hands, and bad things happen.  I don’t condone that, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that large numbers of bored people without much to lose are a problem waiting to happen.

    • Thomas Anderson says:

      01:41pm | 09/08/11

      I reckon send the lot off to Africa, see how they survive real life.

    • Miles says:

      01:46pm | 09/08/11

      For the most part, this ‘huge portion’ of the population only have themselves to blame for feeling forgotten and disconnected.  When you live with an entitlement mentality, think hard work is beneath you, and believe the government should do everything for you, it’s no wonder these people end up in the situations they’re in.  It’s about life choices.  But rather than take responsibility for their lives, it’s easier to blame the police, the government, or whatever else authority it around.  The same applies here.

    • wakeuppls says:

      02:04pm | 09/08/11

      You guys must mean how the mass protests on student fees were heeded. They were in fact so heeded that they were totally ignored. Eventually people will get sick of living in a pretend democracy that is more or less corporate totalitarianism and there will be a backlash. We are starting to see this backlash precipitate.

    • Paulb says:

      02:20pm | 09/08/11

      You may mean BACK to Africa Thomas.

    • Demoman says:

      02:34pm | 09/08/11

      The usual “youths with free time” excuse.

      They are thugs that leech off society and no amount of apologising away can change the fact that they aren’t natives. Why does Britain owe them anything at all and why can’t they occupy themselves more constructively than imitating African-American gangster culture?

      Why haven’t the chavs of Middlesborough done any rioting?

    • Gregg says:

      03:11pm | 09/08/11

      Hopefully, we’ll not have Gilly taking pity on her homeland Isles and agreeing to a re-instatement of transportation but then again maybe the inland could do with a lot of irrigation trenches and even digging holes for nuclear waste.

    • gobsmack says:

      03:25pm | 09/08/11

      Where’s Erick?
      A week or two ago he was saying the Norwegian massacre occurred because governments weren’t listening to the people and, while he didn’t condone the gunman’s methods, said we should listen to the message.

    • Erick says:

      06:20pm | 09/08/11

      You rang, Gobsmack?

      The demographics of the rioters are still uncertain at this point, but I suspect that unassimilated immigrant populations may be involved.

      This would be consistent with the concerns over Islamisation in Europe. Several very similar riots have taken place in Islamic/African regions of France.

      I suspect multiculturalism and the former Labour government’s immigration policies have much to do with the origins of these riots.

    • Phil says:

      06:26pm | 09/08/11

      Miles you are spot on.

      I say bring in the Army including amunition. That will fix the situation immediately. When anyone thinks the world owes them a living and they are not prepared to do work, and I mean any work for money then you are asking for trouble.

      I wonder just how many of the initial rioters were immigrants to the UK?

      We are breeding a welfare mentality here as well. We could be next. Face its folks socialism is finished

    • Mark says:

      07:57pm | 09/08/11

      @Phil, you sound an aweful lot like the esteemed Syrian president. Civil disobedience and unlawful protests should not be put down with violence under any circumstances. Corporate totalitarianism is the cause, Government’s with no spine are the mediators and guess who pays them?? The corporate’s above them. Democracy is a sham and youth’s without anything to lose are the yard stick when it come’s to social injustice. What they say is the truth because they’re the only one’s without a reason to lie. You can only discredit descent against “Democracy” (term is used loosely in the western world these days) by blaming uneducated youths for so long before it come back to bite you, or burn you down in this case..

      You encourage it in the Arab spring, yet you condemn it in the developed world. Lets see how developed we are when the world burns around us. Whether it comes literally in the form of civil uprising or figuratively in the form of the US economy collapsing, it will happen eventually.. The revolution will not be televised

    • Glen says:

      01:04am | 10/08/11

      I find myself agreeing with Erick 100% these days. I am going to say it Erick For PM!

      As to London - with a generation of socialist policies The Poms are now getting everything they deserve. Maybe the London latte-set (equivalent of our beloved inner west) will rethink their progressive views once their herbal shops are burnt to the ground.

      You wouldn’t have these problems if these kids KNEW how to get off their asses and earn. Thank you UK Labour. Don’t think it won’t happen here. Ammo will be the new currency…

    • jones says:

      09:10am | 10/08/11

      Yes Mark, civil disobedience and unlawful protests should not be put down with violence under any circumstances. Perhaps, they should be put down, as one uber cool member of the UKs artistic intelligentsia put it, with cups of tea and Mars bars. The terms you’ve described as civil disobedience and unlawful protests reek so heavily of political correctness it’s laughable. This is by no means a small disturbance or even a protest. It is large scale and well organized anarchy with only a tiny minority actually supportive of the original cause (the death of Mark Duggan). These thugs are destroying their own communities. What right minded person would destroy their own community and then blame it on capitalism and corporate oppression? You can survive very well in this world without succumbing either of these. The people involved in the riots are as angry as addicts told they will no longer be allowed access to their habit. Life is difficult and we all have to work hard for a living. We owe the world for what we take not the other way around.

    • Jem says:

      10:20am | 10/08/11

      We need to be more specific - the majority of this violence and most violence in general is not committed by ‘populations’ or ‘youths’. It’s committed by *males*. It’s arguable that females have more right to feel aggrieved and disaffected than men - poverty, sexual violence, econnomic inequality, oppressive religions and cultures - these things disproportionately effect women and girls. But you don’t see them rampaging in the streets, going on mass shooting sprees, waging wars, blowing up buildings and committing general terror to anywhere near the extent of men. Perhaps we’re barking up the wrong tree and need to look more closely at men, or more specifically that particular brand of aggressive masculinity and impulsive drive to dominate and destroy that drives so many men to irrational violence.

    • Erick says:

      11:33am | 10/08/11

      @Jem - Feel free to blame males for the riots, so long as you acknowledge that everything from the house you live in to the computer you’re sitting at was also invented by males. It’s true that men are overrepresented at the extremes of society - both the best and the worst.

      As for claiming women suffer more than men, that’s just pure sexist bigotry.

    • Kassandra says:

      11:35am | 10/08/11

      @ Jem

      Oh gawd not this rubbish again. If you want to be all totally victim go do it by yourself and don’t try to drag the rest of us into it . Got a newsflash for you - some of the rioters were girls hey. Heard two of them interviewed on radio this morning laughing and joking about it all - sounds like they had a smashing good time. Yeah they were a real riot. Hope to do it again tonight they said. Plenty of free booze too.

    • Chris says:

      12:34pm | 09/08/11

      Your comment: A friend in London sent me a message to say that his neighbour (whom I have met), a senior member of the Labour Party, said that some of this violence is being encouraged by far left members of the party “in an attempt to bring down the government”.  I hasten to add that this man does not condone the method or the violence which results in it but he was sufficiently concerned to mention it. 
      Socialists are telling disaffected youths that they have “rights” they do not actually have. 
      There are many complaints against the equally abhorrent far right but little is said about the far left which many of these kids take as telling them they can take (loot) what they like from “the rich” (small, family businesses in many cases).  Socialism is still seen as acceptable and criticising socialism is still regarded as a no-go area.  We need to learn from that.

      Reply

    • yawn says:

      12:56pm | 09/08/11

      Aw, wow! What an amazingly incredible insight and revelation you’ve posted, Chris!

      With every political and civic leader, most boasting a lifetime of experience on the ground in the UK struggling to understand the causes of the rioting, you, oh mighty oracle, Chris, have succinctly explained it all.

      We do indeed need to learn from what you have posted.

    • LC says:

      01:17pm | 09/08/11

      The whole idea of individual rights is actually a right wing ideology, Chris…

    • Markus says:

      01:28pm | 09/08/11

      @LC so is the idea of personal responsibility, a point being conveniently omitted.

    • Richo says:

      01:44pm | 09/08/11

      yawn - you fool. The cause of the riots is because a large bunch of criminal opportunists used the moment to set fires, destroy property and loot. As for the original protest, it should never have happened. The guy who unfortunately lost his life, was in a gunfight with police. What do you expect the police to use in that case, harsh language? And yes, socialism is a failure.

    • yawn says:

      02:24pm | 09/08/11

      Far out, Richo. I’m so out of my depth here!

      Even more succinctly than Chris, you’ve explained it all in just a few words: “criminal opportunists used the moment”. Such scholarship, such coherence, such credibility! Phew, give me a moment to catch breath.

      I am truly honoured that you should take time out from your busy schedule to explain such complex issues with such clarity.

    • Gregg says:

      03:06pm | 09/08/11

      You can see the seeds of this type of behaviour even here in Australia at times, call them disaffected youth or products, woeful parenting, the wrong genes or whatever but kids who are just out to run amok.
      Vandalism and car smash ins in Sydney, a bunch of kids, some not even in their teens attacking a young off duty police officer and his Gf on the gold coast.

      Closer to home in our sleepiest of sleepy places, we’ve got kids barely in their teens and some not even that age not just out on the streets at night but some already having been expelled from school are allowed to use a local very small library as a drop in centre, it being totally out of control re their behaviour and apparently on one local registering concern, a librarian said what can I do, my car may not be safe.
      Apparently that may be a reference to a recent smashing up of some backpackers campervans parked up while they were away on some camping for a couple of days.

      The local copper has written into the local paper with an open letter asking parents how they are supervising their kids, the parents probably pissed or stoned out.

      I am fortunate enough, living far enough out of town but I see enough of this behaviour to know it needs to be nipped in the bud before you get copycats thinking what next!
      And do not be surprised if we do get copycatting in Australia too.

    • Rick says:

      04:53pm | 09/08/11

      Gregg are you talking about Abbotts army?

    • Richo says:

      12:43pm | 10/08/11

      Yawn - Mate, you have the blueprint of an idiot. Can’t see the trees for the forest. Move along.

    • Richo says:

      12:46pm | 10/08/11

      yawn - get back in that tub so mummy can finish washing you.

    • nossy says:

      12:34pm | 09/08/11

      Well Daniel as sad as it all is the Olympics next year just may bring a bit of hope to this great city. I was over there early this year and always love the atmosphere of this great city so its not good at all when things like this happen. Could we see this in Australia if we get massive unemployment etc - yes we could! Who knows where the economy is going - all reasonably good at present we are told but can change quickly and then it only takes a spark to ignite civil unrest and we can do without that.

      Reply

    • Fiddler says:

      12:40pm | 09/08/11

      Nope the second best thing about Sydney in 2000 was all the tourist spadge about. It was awesome

      Reply

    • adam says:

      01:07pm | 09/08/11

      the third best was when it ended

    • Dan says:

      12:48pm | 09/08/11

      Are you related to Tom Piotrowski, the CommSec guy?

      Reply
    • Daniel Piotrowski

      Daniel Piotrowski says:

      01:12pm | 09/08/11

      He wishes.

    • Frank says:

      12:50pm | 09/08/11

      When you can’t trust the Police, when you can’t trust the media and to a lesser extent when you can’t trust politicians there is always going to be unrest. This is the rolling effect of a deadly culture of favouring the rich and powerful as well as belittling the working class, you don’t see the Queen out there telling the rioters to behave, she’s too comfy if her cushy Palace

      Reply

    • AT says:

      01:30pm | 09/08/11

      Now that you mention it, Frank, it does seem odd the Queen doesn’t make any public comment on these occasions. If she were to tell rioters to “behave” that would probably just escalate the rioting, of course, but why doesn’t she address her subjects and at least call for calm?

      Her (appointed-by-divine-edict) Majesty is head of state and an irrelevancy. The Mayor of London is a Yahoo Henry who doesn’t seem recognise the difference between being a court-jester and mayor of a major world city. All the UK’s political leaders for the past 10-15 years have been effete dandies. And their media has been exposed as a corrupt institution bribing police and feeding on the very people it professes to serve.

      How can anyone NOT see that Britain is broken?

    • The righteous one says:

      02:09pm | 09/08/11

      hey Frank, we dont trust the cops media or pollies and you dont see it happening here, As far as London is concerned, overpriced tourist trap

    • mickijo says:

      02:25pm | 09/08/11

      It sure is the “rolling effect of a deadly culture”. It is the effect of an age where youth can be left undisciplined,untrained and good for nothing—and knowing it. Aimless, pointless,ambitionless,useless. One may as well go and bash anything or anybody to fill in a few hours.
      That now is the culture of a socialistic society. Sad.

    • Demoman says:

      02:38pm | 09/08/11

      Typical Marxist reducing everything to class struggle.

      Tell me why the working class whites are not rioting ?

    • Gregg says:

      03:15pm | 09/08/11

      I was reading an article where it was claimed some police were feeling overwhelmed.
      Time for martial law and send in some red berets and others and kick them into detention camps for sorting out.
      Put on a curfew and let them know it’ll be a real bullet they’ll have to try and dodge.

    • Oracle says:

      03:49pm | 09/08/11

      None of those links are working class whites, they’re leftist scum.

    • Minko says:

      01:03pm | 09/08/11

      Particularly loved the last sentence of this paragraph: “They’ve got the Tower of London, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and a bazillion castles. The city is steeped in history and protects its culture. Or at least the culture they’ve stolen from every continent of the earth and plonked in the British Museum.”

      Reply

    • Richo says:

      01:49pm | 09/08/11

      Maybe so, but if they weren’t in the British museum they would probably be lost to the world anyway.

    • con T says:

      03:51pm | 09/08/11

      Yes thank you British museum for stealing our artifacts.

    • Eric says:

      05:05pm | 09/08/11

      If the British hadn’t taken so many artefacts for public display in museums you would never have the chance to see any of them - they’d have been lost, destroyed or sold off into private hands long ago.  That’s why countries want artefacts back - because they didn’t preserve what they had.

    • Jane says:

      01:05pm | 09/08/11

      I lived in East London for 9 years, just around the corner from Tottenham. We saw the house where some of the bombers were plotting to blow up airlines. I’ve seen the gangs of hooded youths hanging around the station, the shopping centre and terrorising people on the tube. I’ve seen the area slowly turn from being multicultural into a domination of muslims and africans. All the takeaway stores, subway, KFC, etc have all gone halal. I wouldn’t walk home alone after about 8pm. You don’t see this in every borough of London though.

      London is one of the greatest cities in the world, but like every city it has areas that are poor, where people are disenfranchised, where ghettos are born. The government hasn’t helped, it’s taken away all the local resources for youths - building over green spaces, getting rid of youth clubs and not giving them any other alternatives.

      However, this rioting doesn’t seem to be a reaction to the death of the man in Tottenham, it really does seem to be an excuse for looting for the sake of it.

      Reply

    • Zaf says:

      01:27pm | 09/08/11

      All very moving, Jane, except that Tottenham is in the North West.

    • Jane says:

      01:48pm | 09/08/11

      Zaf,

      I said I lived in East London, around the corner from Tottenham. Specifically Walthamstow - E17.  Now, look on a map, it’s around the corner ! Now look at North West, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NW_postcode_area and tell me if Tottenham is there. I think not.

    • Zaf says:

      10:01pm | 09/08/11

      Fair cop Jane.

    • Blind Freddy says:

      01:10pm | 09/08/11

      Anomie, alienation and aimlessness. Without soul, meaning or purpose. Why? Why not. Your future is owned.

      Reply

    • Al Chunk says:

      01:14pm | 09/08/11

      Listen to journos pontificating on the news streams, which are way behind and on a loop, but if you want the locals talking as it happens goto lbc.co.uk absolutely incredible.  Crush the lower orders too much to maintain privilege at your peril or it could be just a case of early christmas shopping.

      Reply

    • AdamC says:

      01:16pm | 09/08/11

      Sounds like a case of some swamp things emerging from London’s suburban welfare cesspools. How is this different to the dregs of the Paris banlieues torching a few citroens every few years, or even the present antics of the thirtysomething teenage ‘indignatos’ in Barcelona and elsewhere? Indeed, the UK itself experienced similar rioting in the north not too long ago. 

      I dunno if this amounts to a ‘broken Britain’, but it does show the perversity of the ultra-developed welfare states in Europe. There is a script to these things. Some unworthies arc up and get some negative attention. Some worthies scratch their heads as to why (it’s obvious to me); some journos diagnose some non-existent, deep societal issue and coin a silly neologism in its name.

      Eventually, the racaille dissipate (“Hey, all that property damage is tiring”) and the indolent European grandees wag their finger at the whole affair. That leaves the oligarchical political class to continue doing what they do best - infantilising their subjects to the point that they seriously think looting and rioting are legitimate forms of self-expression.

      Reply

    • Hamish says:

      01:26pm | 09/08/11

      All true, just scumbags on the welfare teat who feel the world owes them a living…and new trainers. The one thing I don’t understand about rioters is; if you’re going to go rioting, why would you riot where you actually live? Surely you’d go to someone else’s suburb and burn stuff?

    • adam says:

      01:43pm | 09/08/11

      Hamish You don’t just waltz onto the SCG and start in the goal square. Ya gotta work up to it, get the skills right, say up Newcastle way. Then enter the big time. Same here, how do you know a double decker can be set on fire? Try to light up “your” one first. If successful, try to come up with a travel plan to someone else’s suburb. Can’t take the bus, some bugger’s torched it….....

    • Michael says:

      01:47pm | 09/08/11

      same logic as Canadians…we lost the hockey, lets burn our city down. lol

    • AdamC says:

      02:42pm | 09/08/11

      Good call, Hamish. Too stupid not to defecate on their own carpet. Even my dog knows to go outside to do her business.

    • DH says:

      01:19pm | 09/08/11

      Yeah, we haven’t stolen THAT much culture from overseas. Just a few items here and there. Besides, I prefer the term ‘rescued’, given that some of the best stuff was actually stolen first by those pesky French and we took it off them.

      My brother is currently fighting the great fires of London as we speak. He says it’s ‘crazy’ over there. Which pretty well sums this whole thing up.

      Reply

    • Sam Chowder says:

      01:27pm | 09/08/11

      I think you’ll find the rioters are angry BHP and Rio share holders and I don’t blame them.

      Reply

    • Richard says:

      01:28pm | 09/08/11

      Poor article Dan, you’re not one for much deep-thinking and deduction, are you? Not much of a ‘big-picture’ kinda guy? Not too cluey at putting 2 + 2 together? These events that are convulsing the world now are all connected. There is a “quickening” occurring in our world right now (to use an old ‘Highlander’ term), and we must try to look deeper into it than this superficial skimming you’ve given us.

      Riots in Greece, riots in Paris, financial carnage, what is driving it all?

      Government debt is. The legacy of Socialist governments/Labour governments.

      We are lucky that our previous government (the Howard government) was so exceptional. No other Western nation in modern history had a government responsible enough to pay back all government debt. The only one in the whole world was Howard and Costello’s.

      We ought to thank our lucky stars for that, and what’s more we should be overthrowing this current Labor government NOW! lest we beset by the same problems caused by their ilk overseas.

      Reply

    • Knemon says:

      01:41pm | 09/08/11

      Welcome to The Punch Dan!

    • Me of There says:

      02:57pm | 09/08/11

      Your comment was about the only one that made sense.

      I agree - Bring back Howard.

    • gobsmack says:

      03:17pm | 09/08/11

      @Richard
      LOL
      Accusing Dan of not being a “deep-thinker” and then using the Highlander as the basis of your theory of what’s happening.
      And then you suggest that in order to avoid riots we should “overthrow” the current government.
      Thanks for the laughs Dick.

    • Rob says:

      03:43pm | 09/08/11

      Erm, the “Quickening” is a phenomenon in the Highlander films and television series when an Immortal is beheaded… it’s an imaginary concept, dude!

    • Mark says:

      04:08pm | 09/08/11

      Australia is in the middle of another mining boom yet we are mired in debt. Welcome to socialism and Labor!

    • John from Vaucluse says:

      05:18pm | 09/08/11

      You forgot to mention the carbon tax Richard ... the fear has obviously spread to the UK ...

    • Bug says:

      05:40pm | 09/08/11

      @Richard,
      that was GOLD!!
      Best laugh all week!

    • Erick says:

      06:33pm | 09/08/11

      All those years of Labour government in the UK are finally starting to pay off!

    • Chris L says:

      08:58pm | 09/08/11

      Yep. Never had any riots in the UK under a conservative government, hey Erick?

    • Richard says:

      10:21pm | 09/08/11

      The riots are in response to social unrest caused by savage cuts to the budget under the U.K.‘s austerity program. There have been riots in London for months now, and they keep getting more and more severe.

      Now try to answer honestly all you leftist apologists, why is the budget austerity program in the U.K. necessary? Indeed, the Tory government was elected specifically on the explicit platform of budget austerity, they have a democratic mandate for their policies.

      Why? Because the previous Labour government were drunken sailor profligates with the tax-payer’s money, and irresponsibly racked up Billions of Pounds of debt to boot.

      Who does that sound like Hmm? Yes that’s right, the answer starts with a ‘Rudd’, ends with a ‘Gillard’ and has a ‘Swan’ in the middle.

    • sandfly says:

      05:52am | 10/08/11

      John Howard, saviour of the world. Give me a break. The man was profligate with taxpayers money shoring up his voting record with middle class welfare. He was so good he was the first Australian Prime Minister to be voted out of Parliament by his own constituents.

    • Chris L says:

      08:28am | 10/08/11

      At least when the Redfern riots and the Cronulla riots broke out people had the good taste to wait for the truth rather than just blame the coalition government of the time.

      I’m surprised the Japanese tsunami wasn’t blamed on the left wing.

    • Jade (the other one) says:

      01:32pm | 09/08/11

      Send in the army with orders to shoot all rioters and looters on sight. It isn’t like the English don’t have sufficient, transparent democratic processes for people to air their grievances with the government. They are not living in Syria, Iran, Libya, where they have something to riot about.

      People (including children) who would behave in this way are a significant danger to society, and should be dealt with accordingly. Their only goal, quite clearly, is to terrorise the public, for their own amusement. We should deal with them as we would any other terrorist.

      Reply

    • HappyCynic says:

      05:05pm | 09/08/11

      Umm yeah shooting a bunch of kids is really going to improve the situation, I mean parents love watching kids get shot on live tv /sarcasm

      If you want to resolve the issue, arrest the troublemakers, let the fires burn for a few days and then clean up the mess.

      Everyone will have forgotten about this riot in a couple of weeks until the next one inevitably occurs.

      Humanity is savage, for all our pretenses at civilised behaviour we’re still just a bunch of animals and every so often a few of us stop pretending we’re anything but savages and act out a little.  That’s all this is, the moron pundits will blame the “Left” or the “Right”, the “Yoof Advocates” will blame the old people, the old people will blame the young people and their “sense of entitlement” et cetera et cetera.  They’re all full of sh*t anyway and just a bunch of opportunistic vultures so why bother listening?

    • James says:

      01:32pm | 09/08/11

      1 post, 1 great pun in the headline. Awesome debut Dan.

      The 2004 Redfern riots are a great point of reference for us here- TJ Hickey was said to have been ‘killed’ by the police, which provided some sort of catalyst to remind the government of just how bad things are in their neck of the woods. Let’s hope that the Brits can do something to fix the problem, rather than continue to ignore it as they seem to have done in Sydney.

      Reply

    • Sad Sad Reality says:

      01:36pm | 09/08/11

      Diversity is a wonderful thing.

      Open the boarders here.

      Let everyone in.

      Real equality is everywhere on fire.

      Reply

    • James1 says:

      01:50pm | 09/08/11

      The last thing we need is open boarders.  Quite frankly, there is enough exposed skin in this country without men wearing open boardshorts.

    • adam says:

      01:57pm | 09/08/11

      Yes open boarders, not enough book shops around

    • Sad Sad Reality says:

      02:07pm | 09/08/11

      Lame pedantry. Is their anything more vile? Mass immigration?

    • adam says:

      02:38pm | 09/08/11

      Oh come on SSR, both responses had just a smidge to smirk about.

    • James1 says:

      02:47pm | 09/08/11

      And here I was thinking you had a sense of humour based on some of your previous posts SSR.  I guess that doesn’t extend to having a self-deprecating sense of humour.  How sad for you.

    • Sad Sad Reality says:

      03:03pm | 09/08/11

      adam, you are the reason Two and a Half Cliches is the highest rated show on TV.

      You are the reason Wil Anderson can pass off red-faced yelling as comedy.

      You are the reason Shelley Craft can reveal her hideous rugby neck every week.

      You are the reason Adam Sandler is a f**king billionaire and Judd Apatow can release the same derivative humourless dreck every single year.

      You are the reason the fat, ugly, smug, arrogant and pretentious Masterchef judges think they are gods.

      You demand too little and lower the bar for us all.

    • gobsmack says:

      03:21pm | 09/08/11

      @SSR
      Forgotten the Redfern riots?
      The first victims of multiculturalism were the Aborigines.

    • k says:

      03:25pm | 09/08/11

      you hear that adam it’s all your fault!

    • Sad Sad Reality says:

      03:27pm | 09/08/11

      James1 you turned the misspelled word “boarders” into a joke about open board shorts.

      You display all the comedic vision of a German physician performing an autopsy for an audience of Frenchmen.

      You showcase all the humorous unpredictability of a high school principal introducing a speaker on bullying.

      You sparkle with all the wit of an RTA employee justifying a rego fee at 4:45pm on a Tuesday.

      You are an example of what passes for comedy in Australia, and it makes me depressed.

    • Sad Sad Reality says:

      03:38pm | 09/08/11

      gobsmack, the aborigines were not victims of multiculturalism, they were victims of their own lack of progress.

    • adam says:

      03:51pm | 09/08/11

      Hi k, can’t wait to see how I caused the carbon tax

    • James1 says:

      04:02pm | 09/08/11

      You take yourself far too seriously, sir.  That is why you are depressed.

    • Sad Sad Reality says:

      04:22pm | 09/08/11

      James1. The rape and destruction of western culture by third world criminals is something I take seriously. Shame you don’t.

    • Chris L says:

      08:59pm | 09/08/11

      So you do take your post seriously SSR? I thought you were being sarcastic.

    • Doodlebug says:

      06:02am | 10/08/11

      SSR. The west has been raping and pillaging the Third world for centuries. What do you think colonisation was all about? Altruistic care and affection. There is an implication in far too many comments here that the problems in London are caused by people who aren’t white. Well I don’t know what images you’ve seen but the ones I’ve looked at have lots of white youths running amok in them. The English have a long history of expressing their displeasure by rioting. Why try to blame the present rioting on immigrants. To me that demonstrates unjustifiable prejudice rather than serious analysis of the issues.

    • James1 says:

      09:35am | 10/08/11

      I do take that seriously.  What I don’t take seriously are jokes about spelling errors.  Its a shame you do.

    • Zaf says:

      01:40pm | 09/08/11

      Every post-war decade or so there’s a riot like this in London (Notting Hill 1959, Southall riot sometime in the 1970s, Brixton riot 1981…) and/or the rest of Britain.

      It’s a systemic thing.

      imho it’s due to
      1 The end of Empire - and with it the chance at a job in the colonies for any Briton who needed one; and
      2 The dominance of The City in the British economy, and the impact that had for many years on the strength of the pound and the competitiveness of British manufacturing jobs.

      The same group was disadvantaged by both these trends.  Massive post-war migration to fill the war-dead gap made things even more competitive - good for the economy, but bad for the already ill educated and disadvantaged.

      The Olympics has sfa to do with this.

      Reply

    • Dan says:

      01:42pm | 09/08/11

      Yes, the success of the London Olympics relies entirely upon the overthrow of the Australian Government.

      Do the Coalition staffers on here actually read the articles? Or just copy and paste the script?

      Reply

    • Dan says:

      01:53pm | 09/08/11

      Woops. This was meant for ‘Richard’ above.


      Doing a kick-ass job Dan Piotrowski - keep it up!

    • MarK says:

      02:23pm | 09/08/11

      “Doing a kick-ass job Dan Piotrowski - keep it up!”

      LAWL.

      This is his first piece.

      Dan get your Dad to post this stuff after a few articles mate. Makes it look better ya know.

    • Kirsty says:

      01:49pm | 09/08/11

      This feels like the prequel to the movie V for Vendetta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta_(film)).  The people riot etc and then the rest of the people turn to a conservative government that cracks the whip on immigration, socialism and promotes a heavy police/army presence to keep the people in line.

      Reply

    • Gregg says:

      03:25pm | 09/08/11

      V for Vendetta, CL for Coalition Love is far betta than HGLLWI
      Hard Green Labor Labour With Independents

    • Lee from WA says:

      01:52pm | 09/08/11

      I think you are all overthinking this. Young men don’t need a whole lot of incentive to be violent and burn things down and the main feature of these riots seem to be plain old lawlessness. There might have been some element of rage against the police, backed up by being poor (comparatively), but when it gets down to brass tacks, people are selfish and young men are prone to violence. They are burning and looting because they are dickheads.

      Reply

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      02:14pm | 09/08/11

      I agree, just some bored youths thinking they are cool by rioting. No bloody cause, no organization, no direction, just opportunistic looting and vandalism. Shame about the cops being injured though. The austerity economic climate in the UK doesn’t help….

    • Sam says:

      12:25am | 10/08/11

      Completely true, and everyone who lives here knows it.  I can’t wait till I see the mug shots of the morons who’ve posted photos of themselves online with their loot when theyve been tracked down over the next few months and arrested.

    • Barcoo says:

      01:53pm | 09/08/11

      I’ll probably be shot down in flames, and I don’t mind that, but I do wonder if a lot of this is being driven by the power of social networking. Someone mentioned on ABC Breakfast this morning that every kid in view was constantly texting or sending photos on their Blackberries. It’s as if they all have to make the most sensational comment or photo or even organise the next place to meet and destroy.

      Reply

    • PTom says:

      02:12pm | 09/08/11

      When it comes to track them down later it will be easier.

    • Punters Pal says:

      03:26pm | 09/08/11

      No wonder they are rioting if they still have Blackberries. Maybe that’s why they are doing it, because they are upset that they cannot afford I-phones or Android phones.

    • yawn says:

      02:02pm | 09/08/11

      And you’re not too cluey at putting 1 + 1 together, Richard. You try to pin the blame for the world’s “financial carnage” on the “legacy” of left governments — the primary cause of the world’s current financial woes is the excesses of right wing Bush’s eight years of presidenting.  You mention rioting in Greece — they had a precession of conservative govts until very recently. You mention rioting in France — they too have had a couple of decades of tories…

      But I guess we should take your claim that Dan is “not one for much deep-thinking and deduction” seriously — you could could spot your fellow superficial skimmers in an instant.

      Reply

    • nossy says:

      02:09pm | 09/08/11

      @yawn - dont be too hard on poor old Richard yawn - hes either smacked his head on something hard this morning or his bra is on too tight!  hahahhahaahhhh

    • Bug says:

      05:43pm | 09/08/11

      Nice one, Nossy!

    • nossy says:

      06:47pm | 09/08/11

      @Bug - I will pump for the bra Bug!  hahahahahahah

    • Kika says:

      02:08pm | 09/08/11

      So apparently the rioting has spread to Bristol and Liverpool? If that’s the case then it can’t just be isolated groups of thug kids in London wanting to sht stir. There must be something deep underlying to cause kids to do this kind of thing. 
      Completely expected though. Austerity measures and cuts to social services, jobs etc, global empire melt down - these things happen.

      Goodbye America… Nihao China.

      Reply

    • Tom says:

      01:17pm | 10/08/11

      “There must be something deep underlying to cause kids to do this kind of thing.” Yes, an ingrained sense of entitlement put there by the nanny state.

    • Ian1 says:

      02:11pm | 09/08/11

      This is an example of how easily criminal elements can coordinate and flourish where chaos ensues.  I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the majority of perpetrators were unemployed and drug affected.  I wouldn’t be surprised at all if many of the gangs operating in the turmoil were more loyal to their dealers than the people who provide their welfare benefits.  I wouldn’t be surprised if a proportion of the mob were from somewhere else within the EU.  What is clear, is that the criminals operating have no regard for law and order, or the property and safety of others.  I hesitate to make further references, other than to say there is obviously a very worrying sub-culture prevalent.

      Let us hope that mandatory sentencing applies for these instances of destruction.

      Reply

    • dannyboy says:

      07:17am | 10/08/11

      There must be a lot of “criminal elements” in Britain to sustain a riot for this long and on this scale. Methinks your analysis is much too simplistic. Your prejudices are ruling your thought processes. Hopefully those that have to sort out this mess are capable of a little deeper consideration to the real causes than you appear to be.

    • LC says:

      02:12pm | 09/08/11

      They are rioters. They are theives, arsonists and vandals, taking an oppotunity where the emergency services are spread thin to wreak havoc.

      They should be treated as such, and where appropriate, the parents of youth “rioters” should be held somewhat accountable for thier failure to keep them under control.

      Reply

    • WarBaby says:

      08:12pm | 09/08/11

      ‘When I were a lass’ (WWII) they used to hang looters.  Ordinary people were a lot worse off then.  If Blackberrys had been around, no young people would have had one.  Most households did not even have phones, few had cars and we wore hand-me-downs, not designer rags.  There was no NHS.  When we looked at burning buildings we witnessed the horrific deaths of our friends and relatives in the Blitz.  These scumbag rioters should be sent back in time to show them how lucky they are to live in a land where free health services, education and the welfare state exists.

    • Johnny says:

      02:22pm | 09/08/11

      These events are terrible but we shouldn’t be to quick to blame multiculturalism and Blair/ Brown’s socialist policies as the cause of these London riots. It could just be the heat.

      Reply

    • RyaN says:

      03:13pm | 09/08/11

      @Johnny: That has to be some of the best and most subtle sarcasm I have seen in a while.

    • Chris L says:

      08:34am | 10/08/11

      By your logic Johnny I guess the Redfern and Cronulla riots could have been blamed on Howard after all.

    • John the Zombie says:

      02:43pm | 09/08/11

      Send the army in to sought these chavs out.. You can not blame unemployment for this, this is a group of Chavs who think they are cool and better then the rest. They like to live the “thug life” of a gangster and believe in ruling the streets.

      A goup of these Chavs attacked a camp for young children last week beating a man, smashing a car and racially abusing the oganisers of the camp when they were asked them to leave.

      Please dont make excuses for them because there is none.

      Reply

    • Deano says:

      03:06pm | 09/08/11

      But what happened to the Girl with the fake bomb around her neck? Your telling me London Riots and heading into another Global Financial crisis is bigger news?

      Reply

    • depressed says:

      07:22am | 10/08/11

      I’m missing Shane Warne’s antics with Elizabeth Hurley meself. Real news.

    • Hal Jordan says:

      03:10pm | 09/08/11

      in 2011 and in 1979, when the Tories were elected and gave the public a public taste of their reformsm riots broke out amongst workers and rthe poor.
      Like in Australia, the Tories never learn from their mistakes as they think they are sent by God to cure the world’s ills!.

      Reply

    • oOracle says:

      03:46pm | 09/08/11

      Workers aren’t rioting, thugs are.

    • John the Zombie says:

      03:57pm | 09/08/11

      So you seem to of forgotten about the youth riots when labor was in power. Get a life Hal Jordan.

    • Chris L says:

      08:32am | 10/08/11

      Yeah Hal, this is all the fault of the left wing…. somehow!

    • Hal Jordan says:

      03:11pm | 09/08/11

      put the olympic games on in sydney rather than in london

      Reply

    • Dave says:

      08:45pm | 09/08/11

      Why? Sydney did such a poor job many years ago. It embarrassed the nation on a global stage. That poor excuse for a city should never be given another opportunity to be seen by the rest of the world.

    • DC says:

      03:16pm | 09/08/11

      Should have been awarded to Paris in the first place. They wouldn’t tolerate this sort of rubbish.

      Reply

    • Hal Jordan says:

      03:26pm | 09/08/11

      London 2012 should be Sydney 2012

      Reply

    • LC says:

      12:38pm | 10/08/11

      Screw that, make it Melbourne 2012.

      Give the government an incentive to clean things up here, even if only temporarily.

    • Stop the world i want to get off says:

      03:30pm | 09/08/11

      Left wing aethist anarchists…the same type that demolished Vancouver earlier…the same vicious mentality that spouts for gay rights and climate change
      A multicultural problem?
      Maybe…but more than likely just the youth of today spouting anger and hatred instead of flowers and peace signs of the 60’s.

      Reply

    • Rick says:

      04:44pm | 09/08/11

      They got shot in the 60’s, they get shot now.

    • ageinghippy says:

      07:08am | 10/08/11

      peace and love wasn’t all it was claimed to be. I remember a lot of violence perpetrated by the flower children generation.

    • marley says:

      08:54pm | 10/08/11

      Okay, enough already.  Vancouver wasn’t demolished, it wasn’t even damaged much.  And they weren’t left wing anarchists, they were just ferals.  Canada has hockey riots from time to time.  There was a famous one in Montreal back in the 50s.  Trust me, these aren’t political riots and they don’t spread to other cities as the ones in the UK have done.

      Canada has had a few encounters with anarchists (look up Toronto in the G20) but Vancouver wasn’t it.  And the Toronto riot was penny ante compared to what’s going on in the UK.  And, certainly in Canada, none of it had a damn thing to do with multiculturalism.

    • Gregg says:

      03:30pm | 09/08/11

      Four Corners featured Naples last night, a right royal mess if you ever wanted one and that might just be a pic of the future around the corner if they do not jump on this real qyick from a big height.
      Curfew and Military to back /supplement the police is what is needed.

      Reply

    • Jon says:

      04:06pm | 09/08/11

      “We’ve seen pictures of double-decker buses overturned and engulfed in flames.”

      Are you sure Dan?

      Only pictures I saw was of a upright double-decker Bus in flames. A double-decker bus weights approx 23 Tons so would be extremely difficult to turn over by hand even for a bunch of hyped up rioters.

      Reply

    • MarK says:

      04:57pm | 09/08/11

      With duct tape anyhting is possible

    • Steve says:

      05:34pm | 09/08/11

      Thank goodness the bus was upright when it was burnt.

    • RyaN says:

      04:18pm | 09/08/11

      I blame drugs and video games!

      Reply

    • Chris L says:

      06:30pm | 09/08/11

      And rock and roll!

    • virgin says:

      07:10am | 10/08/11

      and sex before marriage

    • KJ says:

      03:45pm | 10/08/11

      And gays, don’t forget the gays

    • Lisa H. says:

      06:14pm | 10/08/11

      I blame the constant dim grey skies and of overcrowding in an overpopulated land.

    • James says:

      04:28pm | 09/08/11

      Crime and a rotten youth culture are responsible for these London riots.The weak government has allowed it to spread to other criminal across the city instead of comming in tough from the start.These criminals have no respect for authority and will use anything as an excuse to burn and plunder,sadly the only thing they respect is violence so violence must be used against them quickly and without mercy by the military.

      Reply

    • John the Zombie says:

      05:48pm | 09/08/11

      James totally agree.

    • Mark says:

      09:11pm | 09/08/11

      Geez you people make me sick, we categorically condemn the oppression and brutalisation of civilians in Syria, and yet we think it’s a good way to control a bunch of youths expressing their disgust?? If it’s good for the goose it’s good for the gander and hypocrisy only shows the cracks more plainly… of course, there couldn’t be anything wrong with a 1st world democracy could there??

    • Kate says:

      05:03pm | 09/08/11

      Hmph. I just realised I have spent the past five years mis-attributing that ‘tired of london, tired of life’ quote to Oscar Wilde.

      Reply

    • BiG TeD says:

      05:45pm | 09/08/11

      Kate: just replace ‘London’ with ‘rentboys’.

    • SteveS says:

      05:14pm | 09/08/11

      UN and NATO should help British freedom fighters by sending arms and logistic support and to help them in bringing down undemocratic government and police.American bombers should be at the ready to bring democracy to this troublesome country.
      We , as a democracy should recognise British freedom fighters as legitimate representatives of British people and urge international community to arrest all of the British government and police leaders and send them to the Hague.

      Reply

    • John the Zombie says:

      06:01pm | 09/08/11

      SteveS Kronic is illigal now so I suggest not smoking it anymore as it seems to of done you are large amount of damage.

    • Chris L says:

      08:51pm | 09/08/11

      An interesting comparrison Steve. It’s different looking at it from a more empathetic perspective. Don’t expect many people to understand what you’re trying to say.

    • Sam says:

      08:16am | 10/08/11

      Freedom fighters?? WTF??  In all the history books I’ve read I can’t recall reading any stories about Che Guevara nicking trainers and cheap watches.  Perhaps he had other priorities?

    • Ben H says:

      05:14pm | 09/08/11

      I’ve lived in London and have witnessed the polarising class disparity. I hope my mates are alright over there. I hope no more cold-blooded murders take place.

      The cops and their handlers need to pay for their crimes. The establishment can be brought down in the process. I can see such people’s uprisings taking place all over the western world.

      People are sick of a system that only serves to enslave them. Actual justice is demanded, and will be secured at any cost. A period of anarchy will lead to a decent world, and a new start for the many who have been held captive by the few.

      Time to choose sides, and do so wisely.

      Reply

    • Michael says:

      06:07pm | 09/08/11

      Is this an excerpt from your personal manifesto Ben? I’m sure I read something similar from man in Norway only a week ago…
      People may be disenfranchised, they may not be sharing in the spoils of many of their fellow citizens- but until you are threatened by your state, you have no right to attack it and its people. Democracy and the rule of law.

      Inciting a riot is a crime. That not only applies to you Ben, but to some of the ‘people take to the streets in arms against this government’ nonsense that I hear being thrown around recently.

    • John the Zombie says:

      06:44pm | 09/08/11

      Are you serious Ben H. The riots originally started as peaceful rally in regards to the shooting of a drug dealer, a criminal.

      Tell me this Ben H, why can ppl who come to London with little money and from overseas be able to succeed so well. Why are there children then able to climb social ladder and get good jobs. The reason is instead of blaming the govt for all their problems they neck up and work hard. How many of these rioters you think are will to do the bad and disgusting jobs that pay low but give them a wage still. How many are willing to be celaners, garbage men, fruit pickers, security guards, cafe worker and the like? I can bet you none. They all want to live the ‘thug life’ which will see then earning large amounts of dollars for nothing and partying all day and night. Anything under this is not worthy of them.

      So dont start your ow it is the oppresive govt and all that crap. These ppl are just thugs that all.

      Just to note three did try to kill a police officer by running him over and one man is dead due to the rioters.

      I hope the army is activated with live rounds.

    • John says:

      08:29pm | 09/08/11

      Ben H, come on they rioting because they have no respect for law and order. This socialist experiment what was pushed by the Socialist elite who rule europe today is failing, they though that the third world would Allie with them against the native white christian populations, now it’s back firing as the third world immigrants are more of a liability to their power then to support their power. The socialist elite are fearing the nationalists, i suspect the socialist elite are planning and plotting terror attacks to try and pin it on the nationalists. They want to hang on to power, and they don’t want nationalists to get into power. 2012 French Elections, they fear the Front National as they will erode their power.

    • Ben H says:

      09:01pm | 09/08/11

      Michael, You are a perfect example of of a deeply programmed matrix drone.  Your attempt to associate genuine dissent with mass murder, or terrorism, is typical of your type. That is downright pathetic. You lack the guts and the intelligence to comprehend and confront the actual issues.

      You have played right into the hands of the controllers, who have aggressively attacked the rights and freedoms of Australian and other western world citizens for at least the last ten years, under the cover of the ‘war on terror’. J - 9/11 - OB - research the facts.

      I’m careful to say and do very little that is illegal. I would have a field day defending my words and/or actions in court, and would love the free publicity and opportunity to make examples of the traitors prosecuting me. I believe in freedom of speech and truth, unlike you. I love my aussie values, unlike you. I have the balls to stand up, unlike you.

      The fact is, Michael and other drones, there is a war being conducted against all of us, and you are aiding the enemy of the people. The bankers don’t run this country, we do, so get used to it.

      What will you tell your microchipped grandchildren when they ask you what you were doing when the police/surveillance lockdown was occuring? ‘Well, kids, err,’ Michael hesitates, ‘I was, erm, attempting to legitimise it, and accumulating wealth, while all the good people were fighting for a decent world… aren’t you still proud of me?’ They’ll turn their backs and hate you for it, pal. You choose!

    • Richard says:

      09:15pm | 09/08/11

      Ben H, get a grip~ Mark Duggan shot at the police. Anyone who gets shot at would shot back, police or not. Mark Duggan ‘had become “increasingly paranoid” after his cousin Kelvin Easton was stabbed to death outside La Boheme nightclub in Mile End on 27 March’ according to the BBC. Its not a crime to shoot back at a criminal who fired a shot at you.

    • Kate says:

      09:38pm | 09/08/11

      You do realise the guy who was ‘murdered’ by the cops was shot because he opened fire on police, and the cops were just doing their job?

    • Ben H says:

      10:11pm | 09/08/11

      Who says he shot at police? The police? The government? Does anyone with half a brain ever believe anything they say anymore? Even if he did, the rioters display a great deal of other incentive. I would like to see them protesting outside Downing St. or the palace, or the financial district! I’m just about to call a good friend there for an update. He just happens to NOT be involved in the rioting.

    • Mick K says:

      10:39pm | 09/08/11

      Name your place, cunt.

    • Sceptic says:

      01:21am | 10/08/11

      Woe be told the truth get in the way of your little manifesto, huh Ben H?

    • Glen says:

      01:36am | 10/08/11

      @Ben H - mate if you want a clash of totalitarian doctrines I can promise you it will be you who won’t like the result, especially in this country. The Right will smash The Left. Given a choice between communism and fascism people will choose fascism. Free enterprise is what people will defend with bullets at the cost of every other political idea. Naturally us conservatives prefer a market liberal democracy, but if you and the totalitarian Left force us too make choice - watch out!

    • Doodlebug says:

      08:40am | 10/08/11

      Richard, so far there is no evidence that Mark Duggan shot at the police at all.

    • Michael says:

      05:23pm | 12/08/11

      Ben H
      Perhaps you misinterpreted me. I was simply saying that, of late, I have been horrified by this ‘call to arms’ that is expressed by so many of our fellow citizens. You see it at public appearances by Joe Hockey in Brisbane in relation to the PM, and then you see it hear on The Punch by people such as yourself. I too have been horrified by the overreaction and security overreach by our governments since 9/11, but I do not believe there needs to be some sort of genocidal overthrow. I will one day look my grandchildren in the eye and tell them that I did what was right and just, that I drew a line when pushed and that I never backed down on their or any others rights. I will also tell them that destroying their town and assaulting police for a pair of sneakers makes them little shi**s

    • H B Bear says:

      05:25pm | 09/08/11

      This current bout of London rioting would come as no surprise to anyone who has read anything by Theodore Dalrymple over on City Journal.  If anything, the only surprise should be that it has taken so long to occur.

      The UK trails much of the EU on a wide range of social wellbeing statistics.  It is a deeply polarised nation on many fronts, and arguably 10+ years of “New” Labor government did nothing to change this.  Those people who look to the “government” to solve their problems are bound to be disappointed.

      Reply

    • Arthur Pintel says:

      05:59pm | 09/08/11

      And Norway leads the EU on many of those social wellbeing statistics.  But the only thing that has been piled up in the UK so far is bricks, not corpses.

      So, you see, you can never really know the mind of a statistic, eh.

    • Deano says:

      05:34pm | 09/08/11

      We have our own rioters, but they are contained at the moment to Christmas Island.

      Reply

    • Chris L says:

      09:08pm | 09/08/11

      ‘cause building boats is hard work.

    • Mad as hell says:

      05:46pm | 09/08/11

      For every teenager out and about rioting, there is a broken home with no father, and a welfare cheque coming in regularly. Those kids should have parents who care enough to beat them half to death for participating in a riot. Instead, their parents are nowhere to be seen, probably sitting on their feckless behinds, munching chips n curry and watching east-enders in their council flats.

      If it we’re me, I’d stop welfare cheques for the greater London, Birmingham and Liverpool areas. Set up soup kitchens serving the thinnest of gruel, and set about demolishing council estates one by one. This is what welfare and broken homes has wrought. This is what voting for soft-headed progressiveness had wrought. It’s gone beyond a joke, or an experiment. It’s time to say: enough!

      Reply

    • Shane From Melbourne says:

      06:12pm | 09/08/11

      Possible counter riot strategies- cordoning off affected areas, checkpoints and blockades of roads and public transport, possibly combined with ID checks. Massive supplement of overstretched police forces, with military / non military bodies under police control, designated holding areas / containment areas for suspected looters,  reward scheme for informants about rioters or ringleaders, monitoring of social communication networks such as Blackberry Messenging system (more difficult to monitor than more open sources such as Facebook). Curfews imposed.

      Reply

    • michael j says:

      06:16pm | 09/08/11

      Well where are the tanks and live rounds when ya need them ,the poms wouldn’t put up with this bullshit in Ireland surely,it’s not as though they can’t get fish n chips like in Syria is it ? , it is over a bloke who got shot by police when he might have been doing somethink wrong, they must have corner courts to prove the police innocent ? ,the public should take a deep-breath and slow down,
      maybe they should take a lessen from the QLD corner courts where it could be said police do not even have a DUTY of CARE or responsibly when engaging members of the public ,,Still while unbridled rampant destruction might be considered appropriate by the mostly young involved the STEALING cannot be justified, and those found should be transported to Syria where there is nothing to steal,,

      Reply

    • Jimmy says:

      06:46pm | 09/08/11

      London Bridge is falling down,
      Falling down, falling down.
      London Bridge is falling down,
      My fair lady!

      Build it up with iron bars,
      Iron bars, iron bars.
      Build it up with iron bars,
      My fair lady!

      Iron bars will bend and break,
      Bend and break, bend and break.
      Iron bars will bend and break,
      My fair lady!

      Build it up with needles and pins,
      Needles and pins, needles and pins.
      Build it up with needles and pins,
      My fair lady!

      Pins and needles rust and bend,
      Rust and bend, rust and bend.
      Pins and needles rust and bend,
      My fair lady!

      Build it up with penny loaves,
      Penny loaves, penny loaves.
      Build it up with penny loaves,
      My fair lady!

      Penny loaves will tumble down,
      Tumble down, tumble down.
      Penny loaves will tumble down,
      My fair lady!

      Build it up with silver and gold,
      Silver and gold, silver and gold.
      Build it up with silver and gold,
      My fair lady!

      Gold and silver I’ve not got,
      I’ve not got, I’ve not got.
      Gold and silver I’ve not got,
      My fair lady!

      Here’s a prisoner I have got,
      I have got, I have got.
      Here’s a prisoner I have got,
      My fair lady!

      What’s the prisoner done to you,
      Done to you, done to you?
      What’s the prisoner done to you,
      My fair lady!

      Stole my watch and broke my chain,
      Broke my chain, broke my chain.
      Stole my watch and broke my chain,
      My fair lady!

      What’ll you take to set him free,
      Set him free, set him free?
      What’ll you take to set him free,
      My fair lady!

      One hundred pounds will set him free,
      Set him free, set him free.
      One hundred pounds will set him free,
      My fair lady!

      One hundred pounds we have not got,
      Have not got, have not got.
      One hundred pounds we have not got,
      My fair lady!

      Then off to prison he must go,
      He must go, he must go.
      Then off to prison he must go,
      My fair lady!

      Reply

    • John the Zombie says:

      07:11pm | 09/08/11

      This is truely digusting.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gex_ya4-Oo

      The young boy was knocked over by these rioters and watch what happens next. Scum and filth of society. These are the true Chavs

      Reply

    • RickY says:

      07:53pm | 09/08/11

      When did the British become so pissweak?Unarmed police running in panic. Political correctness gone mad.The pandering to violent, third world immigrants to the detriment of their own.I honestly beleieve these rioters should be stamped on in the most violent way possible(by the military) .Use live rounds & make an example of a few.They are happy to use violence & intimidation on inocent people, so let them reap what they sow.Its all they will understand.

      Reply

    • Rattus says:

      08:18pm | 09/08/11

      It’s just an extention of whats happening in the Middle East. People taking the law into their own hands because they have been marginalised by the the greedy, rich and their political lackeys. America will be next, especially if the Tea Party get their way, It’s only a matter of time. The powder is dry, it only needs the spark…..
      As Bob Dylan once sang “theres a slow train comin”

      Reply

    • John says:

      10:24pm | 09/08/11

      No, these a thugs criminals, who think they should have a the right to shoot at the police. Just look at them looting stealing! Such honorable behavior!! But of course the government is to blame for allowing multiculturalism to happen in London, they flooded London with millions of immigration in order to destroy christian white society. Karma my friend. The Socialist Government of Europe must be removed, multiculturalism must be stopped and immigration reduced to the number 0. Nationalism is the only choice to stop the coordinated agenda by the socialist international bankers, socialist western media barons, and the west socialists politicians who kneel before them. Only Nationalism can save Europe from socialist destruction.

    • depressed says:

      07:27am | 10/08/11

      John. Immigrants cannot be blamed for all of a society’s problems. Your analysis of the issues is just simplistic prejudicial nonsense

    • John says:

      08:19pm | 09/08/11

      Socialist days are numbed. It will be only a matter of time the nationalists get in power that will up root the socialist elite disease who rule the west. These socialist elite though that flooding the europe with the third world would work in favor for their interests, but as one can see today, it’s just a matter of time their agenda gets stopped and and they get identified and will most likely be expelled from the west for subversion. This is not the first riot, hopefully europeans turn against their socialist elite, media, governments, politicians, and vote in the nationalists to fix the mess of elite socialist who have deliberately stuffed their country’s since WWII.

      Reply

    • Gwennis says:

      09:03pm | 09/08/11

      A ‘whiff of grapeshot’ would clear the streets pretty quickly. They knew how to get things done in 1795.

      Reply

    • Greg says:

      09:36pm | 09/08/11

      “The worst-hit districts - Tottenham, Brixton in south London, and Hackney - are multi-ethnic areas which have high rates of unemployment.”

      Isn’t it an amazing coincidence that rioting is always worse in “multi-ethnic areas”, which by another amazing coincidence, always seems to “have high rates of unemployment”?

      Of course, there were also high rates of unemployment and deprivation in the 1930s Great Depression, but never any serious rioting.

      I wonder why it is so different this time?

      Reply

    • rochelle says:

      09:49pm | 09/08/11

      government control is starting to engulf them!

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      09:49pm | 09/08/11

      London is burning and disenfranchised youth are given a reprieve by a government adviser on The 7.30 Report who can’t bring himself to blame the kids, but ‘disenfranchisement’ ; he makes a non sequitur a substantive and store owners who weren’t employing or paying enough, or welfare agencies weren’t generous enough, are the reason why lazy, stupid, reckless, violent and cowardly behaviour should be excused.
      People are to blame, not council flats, or jealousy or poverty.
      Nothing is that bad in the West that so much harm should be so common in the suburbs.
      These looters and rampagers should pay dearly for this.

      Reply

    • rochelle says:

      10:32pm | 09/08/11

      I think the problem is a little deeper than that Kate

      Reply

    • Toynbee's Boss says:

      10:41pm | 09/08/11

      Ladies and Gentlemen, 2.5billion people are currently joining the queue for resources and food. Some of them may push in front of you. There will be a period of adjustment. The management ask that you remain calm and continue with your unimportant lives during this phase of the history of the human race. Should you wish to riot we ask that you do it in the designated riot zones which are clearly marked with hopelessness and despair.
      Anyone found blaming racism and culture for the riots will be examined for traces of race and culture. Anyone found to be in possession of race or culture will be asked not to cling to it.
      People who attempt to illegally enter another country in an attempt to avoid the massive failures of their own country will be sent home with instructions to man up and fix the problem instead of running from it. Revolutionary heroes are the only cure for despotism (as well as the main cause).
      We acknowledge that the deaths of the cowardly and powerless are unattractive, but the cries of the dispossessed keep us awake at night.
      While we are unable to say with any certainty how long this adjustment may take, you be can rest assured that the management are working to minimise the inconvenience to themselves and that the longest it could possibly affect you personally generally won’t exceed 70-100 years.
      Thank you.

      Reply

    • Sean Williams says:

      02:23am | 10/08/11

      London is one of the world’s great cities. That’s why tens of thousands of Australians make a beeline for it every year. Australians are within their rights to come out with their usual smug “Britain is finished” comments. London doesn’t give a monkey’s what the rest of Britain thinks so it certainly won’t care what you think. These events are deplorable but they happen and have done throughout history. Yes PARTS of Britain are broken but not all of it. Britain is a vibrant country where things HAPPEN. Go back to sleep Australia, no-one cares about your opinion. And as for the “Give the 2012 Olympics to Sydney” calls - get over yourselves you pathetic fools. The author of this piece seems to be aware of London’s greatness, shame some of his article sinks to the usual smug Australian inferiorty/superiority mind wrestle when it comes to the motherland.

      Clive James, on why he chooses to live in London and not return home: “Australia is the world as it should be. Britain is the world as it is, and is endlessly fascinating because of it.”

      Reply

    • marley says:

      09:43am | 10/08/11

      @Sean -  I hardly think you’re in a position to be commenting about “smug” Australians, given the self-congratulatory tone of your comments.

      By the way, I doubt that many Australians these days think of Britain as the “motherland.”  I don’t know how to break it to you, but the glory days of the empire are long past.  And the influence that Britain has on anyone outside the Isles is limited indeed. 

      As for things “happening” in the UK, what, for example?  It’s not exactly a hotbed of social, economic or scientific innovation.

    • Doodlebug says:

      08:51am | 10/08/11

      Sceptic you aren’t sceptical enough. You take The Australian as a source for reasonable commentary.

    • Kalu Azu says:

      03:33am | 10/08/11

      It is said that “Problematic ciirccumstancees create great possibilities.” When there is nothing to cheer any longer in life there is something crying for change. Satorical indiscretion is a major precedent of societal reje and opportunity loss. London let us stop this. Imagine valuable assets that has survived centuries and decades destroyed within a twinckle of eye. Let us concentrate on the way forward.

      Reply

    • Ben H says:

      03:42am | 10/08/11

      ?‘Rise like Lions after slumber
      In unvanquishable number -
      Shake your chains to earth like dew
      Which in sleep had fallen on you -
      Ye are many - they are few.’

      Final verse from a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, written after the Peterloo massacre, 1819. Quoted in a book I am reading.

      Reply

    • England, My England! says:

      11:32am | 10/08/11

      Well thought out addition to the commentary Ben H and never a truer word spoken.

    • NESLIHAN KUROSAWA says:

      04:30am | 10/08/11

      Hi Daniel,

      Is this somehow the sign of the times to come??  Social skills are very much part of our modern day societies!!  My question to today is that ” why London, England”?  Where I assume that there is a Social Security system to protect the poor & needy .  There are poorer nations all around the world.  So why is it happening in this particular part of the world??

      I will leave that question to be answered by so called experts!!  However, my only guess is that there are huge numbers of young generation wandering aimlessly with no hope of getting a job & somehow seem very disconnected from the rest of the population, which I find very disturbing.

      Education is the main concern here, it begins in the family unit and continues throughout our lives.  There is a definitely a communication breakdown in the family unit as well as the society we live in.  I strongly believe that our social & communication skills are very much of importance here.  Why do some people resort to violence and not others??

      If the young generation are taught the value of respect for their country & pride in themselves,  there may be hope for the future!!  Anti social behavior begins early on in our lives & gets more and more dangerous as we get older.  We should look at ourselves & intervene before the young generation resort to such violence & criminal behavior.  Best regards to your editors.

      Reply

    • Kel says:

      08:02am | 10/08/11

      They aren’t fighting for a cause, they are just using it as an excuse to act like savages. This is the ugly side of human nature. How the fuck do you reconcile protesting about perceived wrongs with looting and destroying the property of innocent people? This is the pus filled sore of the human race. You don’t see animals act like this. Just shows that deep inside, many people are just shit. Nothing more, nothing less, just shit human beings.

      And I can’t believe they are still trying to deal with the rioters with sticks and shields! Typical piss weak British police. Bring on the rubber bullets and water cannon. Or perhaps a sniper or two to take out looters in the act ...

      Reply

    • Kipling says:

      09:06am | 10/08/11

      I suspect there will be much handwringing and angst ridden discussion about the cause/s of these riots, but, at the end of the day, only the highly overt symptoms will be addressed. The symptoms after all can be addressed with punitive measures without the need to be innovative or actually take stock of the bigger picture fueling this anti social disreputable behaviour.

      Reply

    • Stuart says:

      09:57am | 10/08/11

      Anyone that says that London is souless must be souless themselves,the culture and the vibe of the place is fantastic,I would go there again and again.These riots are beyond belief.the criminal that was shot got what he deserved,why other criminals are out there burning and looting in so called support is just being oppotunic for themselves.Soft measures to control criminals don’t work,bring in the army and baynet the trash.

      Reply

    • Rowan says:

      05:13am | 11/08/11

      Hey Daniel,

      When you write London is a tale of two cities, one getting ready for the Olympic Flame and one in flames, are you saying lets not worry about the social problems because the flash side of London will all right?

      Reply
    • Daniel Piotrowski

      Daniel Piotrowski says:

      06:05pm | 10/12/11

      Nope. If anything, the opposite.

    • Zeal says:

      09:49am | 17/10/11

      I found myself noddnig my noggin all the way through.

      Reply

    • Miguel Benitez says:

      07:22pm | 02/02/12

      Hah, Italy protesters rally against Berlusconi

      Reply
 
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