To wonder whether the media headlines about teenage gatherings in Clapham have been a bit exaggerated?

[Carla786]

I live near but not in Clapham. I understand it must be very scary if you are in the area, having these crowds of teenagers suddenly turning up.
But AIBU to think the media are exaggerating the danger? I have heard there was some looting and one girl arrested for attacking a police officer but overall there doesn't seem to have been mass violence or theft. Just a lot of teens, some of them disturbingly masked, gathering in one place in big numbers because of some TikTok trend.

I honestly wonder if all the media coverage was unhelpful in the sense that it may have given them the reaction they wanted.

AIBU?

Come on, don't be an idiot. These were anti social teens, they didn't have any political agenda and even if they had, that doesn't make what they did alright.

Prices are rising in retail because of the COL crisis. It's not simply profiteering.

Anti social teens happen from time to time, especially now it's so easy to spread the word on social media. Something similar happened in Wimbledon a few years ago - I only heard about it because DD was at school there.

Is it a bad thing to happen? Yes, of course.

Should those involved face consequences? Yes, of course.

But it isn't anything new, and it isn't the End of Civilisation As We Know It.

At least they are sitting up and paying attention. Have a look how much profit has increased for supermarkets since 2020. How much CEO salaries have increased compared to retail workers? I don't want violence, riots, insurrection or revolution but when these plutocrats royally take the piss out of everyone on a daily basis and society becomes very unequal then people get physically angry and attack. Particularly the young, who have been shat on from a great height in the last 20 years. Quite rightly they think "What's the fucking point?" May as well riot and nick stuff. The social contract is broken, work doesn't pay, it's just not good enough.

Quite.

But there is profiteering nonetheless. And has been since 2020 in particular.

Oh, the Wrong Sort of Riot.

The BBC!
Have another look at the news this morning OP.

Weird how Tiktok crazes never encourage them to litter pick.

I was talking about the CEO of M&S finally paying attention. And you are following the opinion of the mainstream press in a sheeplike manner. The press who are all owned by plutocrats who don't want the plebs seeing who the real enemy are, uniting and fomenting an uprising against them.

Keeve said: "In the past week alone we have had gangs forcing open locked cabinets and stripping shelves, two men brazenly emptying the shelves of steak and walking out, a large group of young people ransacking a store before assaulting a security guard, a colleague headbutted trying to defuse a situation and another hospitalised after having ammonia thrown in their face."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crk16j2j1ygo

About 100 officers were called to Clapham High Street on Tuesday where young people were reported to be attempting to access shops and a restaurant. They also lit fires and set off fireworks on Clapham Common.
Six teenage girls have been arrested after two separate incidents of anti-social behaviour "fuelled by online trends", according to the Met Police.
Five people were assaulted, including four police officers. The Met said it expected more arrests would be made in the coming days.

The same stupid trend is happening here in the North East. Huge numbers of teens all dressed in black gathering on weekends on ‘ride outs’ or on foot and causing disruption and ASB and committing criminal damage and assaults just for kicks and likes. A friend was directly affected and verbally abused as they tried to get past them. The often dysfunctional parents would claim they are just being kids enjoying the fresh air, I would be mortified if it was one of mine but thankfully they’ve been raised not to be feral. It needs nipping in the bud before it escalates further.

Have you ever bought anything on Amazon?

This.

So @Carla786you keep allowing for criminal prosecution for any behaviour that actually broke the law, but you're downplaying the whole thing as not that much of an issue. So in your eyes, what would have been OK? Where do you draw the line for such a gathering? Is it intimidation? Is it physical violence? Is it stealing from a shop? Is it steaming through M&S en masse emptying the shelves? How much is OK?

We should fight to change unjust aspects of society. But the way to do that DOESN'T involve losing morality, scaring people and looting.

Exactly

I've repeatedly said that looting, intimidating, attacking people is disgusting and should be punished.

I do think the media have hyped it up by calling it a 'riot' and 'rampage' in a way that causes unnecessary worry.

What's the right sort of riot, in your eyes? Right and wrong do matter, you know.

I would expect that a number of London based journalists live in the area or know someone who does.

Apart from BBC sport with its incessant coverage of a team just outside Manchester, the media is still very London centric it seems.

You're sounding more and more ridiculous. This isn't the French Revolution (fortunately!) any more than teen hooligans in the 90s and 2000s were.

Yes, it is London centric.