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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be in tears about the riots in Croydon

80 replies

spudulika · 08/08/2011 21:53

... watching the coverage tonight - West Croydon, just a mile from where I am, ablaze.

What's wrong with these people, wanting to destroy the jobs, lives and homes of the people who live there? It's such a deprived area anyway.

DS (7) is sobbing with fear because my SIL and their cousins live 200 yards from West Croydon station. Apparently there are gangs of youths with knives walking down their road.

Sad Sad Sad
OP posts:
altinkum · 08/08/2011 22:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hellishday · 08/08/2011 22:17

I know it was a bit tasteless....
Anyone watching BBC news? They seemed to cut their reporting short.

Original poster
spudulika · 08/08/2011 22:17

Hey Spuddy - we might be neighbours . I'm in Selhurst which let's face it only consists of about 3 streets and the Brit School!

OP posts:
mayorquimby · 08/08/2011 22:19

www.twitvid.com/4JTZH

this woman is spot on tbf. Some swearing in the video so don't click at work etc.

CubiksRube · 08/08/2011 22:20

BBC news was absolute bollocks today to be honest, lots of hypothesising and no real sense of what was going on.

DogsBestFriend · 08/08/2011 22:22

Another South Londoner here although no longer resident. I was born and bred there though, Croydon brings memories of shopping with my precious late Nanny, and yes, I'm in tears. Mum and Dad live within a few mins walk of Brixton and DD2 is there at the mo visiting them. This is MY city they're burning, my beautiful home and my folks who are scared and who will be paying for this along with the other decent Londoners.

As I said on the Chat thread:

These people, who are burning the places which, in the case of Peckham, my late Grandad worked so hard to improve and make a safe, happy community are not just burning my happy memories of home and spitting on his legacy, they're deliberately putting innocent lives at risk.

May they rot in hell.

CliniqueMum · 08/08/2011 22:24

Mindless thugs using it as an excuse to steal. For once, like you spudulikey. I have been relieved my south London high street is so crap that unless they want to start raiding Greggs they'll hopefully just detour past us.

Spuddybean · 08/08/2011 22:24

Haha yeah and a couple of offies, a bookies, and numerous fast food places!

My flat is on selhurst road. Although i haven't lived there for 2 years - divorce :(

DumSpiroSpero · 08/08/2011 22:29

Some tears here too - Croydon born although not lived there since I was little, but only passed through a few days ago and have godparents there and an uncle in Peckham.

OP hope your DS is ok, and everyone else in the area with scared DC's Sad.

DoingTheBestICan · 08/08/2011 22:33

Fuckin mindless morons,thats what they are,just where do they think the money is going to come from to repair all this damage?

They done give a flying fuck,it is disgusting & i hope noone gets hurt.

Keep safe everyone.

Dawnybabe · 08/08/2011 22:47

Where are the police with guns now? Shoot a few, that'll get rid of them quick enough.

SiamoFottuti · 08/08/2011 22:53

that would make it a lot worse.

IntergalacticHussy · 08/08/2011 22:55

I love London; i was born and bred there, on both the right and wrong sides of the tracks. My family are there and I hate to think of it going up in flames.

Having said that, I can't help but notice that over and over people keep (mindlessly) referring to 'mindless thugs' being responsible. I would like to ask what evidence we have that the violence is actually mindless? We can't go up to every looter and ask them if they're looting for the thrill of it or because they're dirt poor so how can we possibly know individual motivations (or lack of them?) surely to keep robotically churning out that same media cliche, as heard on ITV/Sky/BBC is to ignore the many economic and social factors which may, or may not be the cause?

Yes its bloody terrifying to be caught up in something like this, especially for children, and i'm not denying anyone's right to feel that way, but for the rest of us in the long term, and for society at large, if we don't address the root cause of civil unrest things can only escalate.

Dawnybabe · 08/08/2011 22:59

How can they justify shooting one man that may or may not be acting in a threatening manner yet can let gangs run riot and cause all this!? I'm sorry but that's definitely threatening behaviour to me!

Dawnybabe · 08/08/2011 23:05

Is crowds of people randomly attacking property and stealing stock usually carefully thought out then Hussy? Do you think they're acting out a business plan or survival tactic? Hmm

They are stupid gangs who like thieving and looting. If they were desperate for money to live on surely it'd go on all the time? Did all the people who cleared out the entire stock of a mobile phone shop think they needed lots of phones? Bollocks. Wake up.

mamalovesmojitos · 08/08/2011 23:07

A man has been shot dead in Croydon according to twitter. God, where is this going to end? Sad

Original poster
spudulika · 08/08/2011 23:11

"I would like to ask what evidence we have that the violence is actually mindless? We can't go up to every looter and ask them if they're looting for the thrill of it or because they're dirt poor"

Sorry - are you suggesting that the gangs of mostly young men out there tonight stealing trainers and tv's and trashing small shops are making a political point? Hmm

Look at REAL political riots like the recent ones in the middle-east - they didn't express their disaffection by stealing ipods and shoes.

OP posts:
mayorquimby · 08/08/2011 23:18

Look at Mark Stones reports if you think these people looting are anyhting but brain dead morons who are doing this for the thrill and because they are opportunistic scum

yfrog.com/0wtduz

www.youtube.com/user/MarkStoneSkyNews#p/u/11/sXcI-NL3Tro

CognitiveDissident · 08/08/2011 23:23

I'm in Sanderstead

Just spent the last hour trying to rescue my daughter from work. She was stranded in Richmond but lives in Thornton Heath. Fortunately her boyf turned up in a taxi to collect her.

I can't believe this shit is happening...I've got messages from mates stranded all over London

iscream · 08/08/2011 23:29

I just saw it on the news for the first time and was shocked! It looks like a war zone.

AngryFeet · 08/08/2011 23:30

Looks like there has been a shooting but not fatal

splishsplosh · 08/08/2011 23:33

it's so shocking, can't believe it's happening just down the road. The first I knew about it was reading on here, though now can hear helicopters about

FabbyChic · 08/08/2011 23:36

They loot because they are scum, they see the police whose hands are tied and who do nothing, who act like they are on some kind of Benny Hill rerun, running forward, then running back when a hooded kid comes walking towards them.

We need water cannons and plastic bullets, there are no deterents for these looters.

You got scum at home saying I want a free TV, the wife is saying I need some new trainers, I could flog them for a fiver a pair get me some, so the next night they go looting.

They see people walking away with carpets, TV's and laptops and not being stopped so they want some too.

FabbyChic · 08/08/2011 23:37

The rest of the world is laughing at us. They see our shit police force, our pathetic government and all over the world they laugh.

We host 2012 what kind of country do we look like who lets people get away with this behaviour.

NotADudeExactly · 08/08/2011 23:39

We're in the centre but DH just went back into work (works in hospitality) because the night duty manager is terrified to be alone and in charge of the building. Am now alone at home and banking on the fact that this is a really posh area and that the police tend to protect the wealthy better than anyone else. (We're definitely not loaded ourselves - I'm curently a student and hence live in a student flat).

DH is from a country that has seen its share of war in recent decades. I myself have experience of seeing tanks on streets and live bullets being fired in close proximity. Both of us are feeling kind of nervous tonight.

What a disgrace!!!

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