Panic on the streets of London

A third night of rioting in London after an initially peaceful protest Saturday turned ugly after nightfall. The protest was initially against the shooting death of a 29-year-old man by police during a traffic stop. He's believed to have been a gang member, but there's some question as to who shot first and to whether he was carrying a real gun or a fake one in a sock.

But it's now basically turned into looting, rioting, torching of buildings for little reason more than copycatting and opportunism. Plenty of stories of flatscreen TVs being carried out of smashed-up electronics stores. Most of the areas affected are quite poor -- Tottenham, Hackney, Peckham.

Some of the video is pretty ridiculous. There's a pub fully ablaze in Croydon, south London. (And to be fair, I'd riot too if I lived in Croydon.)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14450248

 

Isn't this supposed to happen on the Fifth of November?

 

Panic on the streets of Birmingham, I wonder to myself, will life ever be sane again?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/08/britain-riots-birmingham-idUSL6E7J821P20110808

 

Hang the DJ.

 

Sounds like they've already burned down the disco.

 

Panic on the streets of Carlisle

 

The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in
Engines stop running and the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear error, but I have no fear
London is drowning burning - and I live by the river

 

Dublin, Dundee, Humberside

 

Burning building footage on BBC stream is frightening.

Stay safe, deskslave.

 

That article says nothing to me about my life.

 

" ... Everyone's sitting around watching television!

London's burning! (With boredom now!)"