Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
To Surveil, with Love
Season 21 Episode 20
A bomb squad mistakenly blows up Homer's unattended gym bag, releasing radiation into the city and authorities react by suspending civil liberties. Wiggum and his men install surveillance cameras around Springfield and round up suspected terrorists, including groundskeeper Willie, but when monitoring the nonstop flow of video imagery proves to be too much, Wiggum enlists concerned citizens to help keep the city safe. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes fed up with being blonde, so she dyes her hair a dark color.
A bomb squad mistakenly blows up Homer's unattended gym bag, releasing radiation into the city and authorities react by suspending civil liberties. Wiggum and his men install surveillance cameras around Springfield and round up suspected terrorists, including groundskeeper Willie, but when monitoring the nonstop flow of video imagery proves to be too much, Wiggum enlists concerned citizens to help keep the city safe. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes fed up with being blonde, so she dyes her hair a dark color.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
London Riots - Day 4: Vigilantes Take to the Streets
Reclaiming the streets: Sikhs defend their temple and locals protect their pubs as ordinary Britons defy the rioters
By Daily Mail Reporter
- Met Police warn public against use of vigilante justice as crowds of football fans patrol roads intent on 'protecting the streets'
- Warning comes as murder probe launched in Birmingham after deaths of three men 'killed while protecting community from looters'
- Hundreds launch public patrols following claims riot police teams were told to 'stand and observe' looters rather than confront yobs
Last updated at 11:31 AM on 10th August 2011
Some armed with swords, some carrying hockey sticks, defiant Sikhs stood guard outside their temples last night.
More then 700 men, some in their 80s, took to the streets to protect the homes, businesses and places of worship in Southall, West London.
The residents rallied together in a show of unity against looters echoed in other parts of the country as ordinary Britons attempted to reclaim the streets.
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Resistance: Dozens of Sikhs stage a display of defiance against the rioters outside London's largest temple in Southall yesterday |
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'Protection': A large group gathers on the streets of Eltham as crowds form intent on warding off looters in London |
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On patrol: The Met Police have been forced to warn people against forms of vigilante justice following the crowds of people forming intent on 'protecting the streets' |
Pictures of the crowds emerged as the Met Police today urged the public against forming groups intent on vigilante justice.
Many of those who gathered in the late night public patrols had done so after becoming frustrated by the lack of police response to the riots.
It was only on Monday night that police tactics changed and armoured vehicles called Jankels were used to disperse the crowds.
ONE IN THREE BRITONS SAY 'SHOOT THE RIOTERS'
A survey of British adults has revealed that one in three would support the police's use of live ammunition on rioters.
The poll of over 2,500 adults also showed that nine out of ten Britons believe police should be able to use water cannons to deal with the growing unrest.
The YouGov survey for the Sun showed widespread support for the various police tactics available.
Over three quarters 77 per cent) of those surveyed also support using the army ho help deal with the situation.
And worryingly for the government, over half (57 per cent) think David Cameron has handled the riots badly.
A massive 85 per cent are also convinced that the majority of rioters will go unpunished.
The poll of over 2,500 adults also showed that nine out of ten Britons believe police should be able to use water cannons to deal with the growing unrest.
The YouGov survey for the Sun showed widespread support for the various police tactics available.
Over three quarters 77 per cent) of those surveyed also support using the army ho help deal with the situation.
And worryingly for the government, over half (57 per cent) think David Cameron has handled the riots badly.
A massive 85 per cent are also convinced that the majority of rioters will go unpunished.
Large groups gathered in Enfield, north London, and Eltham, south east London, last night and joined police in patrolling the streets.
One video filmed in Enfield shows a huge crowd surge through the streets near the London suburb's Southbury Road station.
But while many pictures this week have shown crowds clashing with police in destructive stand-offs, the video clearly shows officers and crowds running in the same direction in a bid to ward off looters.
However, Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Kavanagh told Sky News: 'What I don't need is these so-called vigilantes, who appeared to have been drinking too much and taking policing resources away from what they should have been doing - which is preventing the looting.
'These are small pockets of people. They're frustrated, they're angry, and that's totally understandable.
'The sadness of those images through the night and the night before last will affect everyone.
'But the support that we need is to allow those officers to prevent looting and prevent crime.
'Ironically, when you see those images with no police available, the police are now having to go and do the vigilantes as well as the other problems that they've got. That needs to stop.'
One of those involved in the Enfield patrol, Nick Davidson, told Sky News: 'We've had enough of the police just standing there... while people are looting and ruining the whole area.
'Everybody here pays tax and we've all had enough of it. We're sickened by the police doing absolutely nothing.
'They're not policing our streets, we have to police them.'
One man in his 20s, who would not give his name said: 'We won't stand for it. If anyone wants to come down here and start looting tonight, let them try - we'll be ready for them.
'We're here to protect the town. What went on last night was a disgrace. It shouldn't be allowed.'
In Southall, the locals rallied to keep the rioters at bay following reports of a planned attack on the area. It is just a few miles from Ealing, which was targeted on Monday night. Each of the Sikh temples was guarded by around 200 men.
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Not in our town: Large groups of people run through Enfield, north London intent on 'protecting the streets' from rioters |
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Reclaiming the streets: The group made their way through Enfield flanked by police officers during the late night patrol |
Amarjit Singh Klair from nearby Hounslow, who helped rally the men, said: ‘We are working along side the police, they’re doing what they can but they are stretched.
‘Why shouldn’t we defend our homes, businesses and places of worship? This is our area. There’s lots of talk about it kicking off here. But we’re ready for them.’
Hooded youths could be seen scouting the area but appear to be have frightened off. Only a handful of police could be seen patrolling the area.
The Sikh community were running a military style operation to protect themselves after almost 100 rioters tried to attack the heart of the area early on Tuesday.
With few police around, elders at London’s largest Sikh temple in Havelock Road resorted to telephoning male worshippers for help.
Last night groups of Sikh men stood guard at different parts of the town, keeping in touch via their mobiles.
One man in his 20s said: ‘They caught us off guard last night but we still managed to get people together to protect the area. We saw them putting on their balaclavas preparing to jump out of three cars but we charged at them and managed to chase them off.’
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On guard: Groups of Sikh men stood around different parts of the town, keeping in touch via mobile phone to crush any potential trouble |
Turkish shopkeepers who stood guard outside their businesses and chased off looters on Monday night have been hailed as heroes.
When the gangs of youngsters arrived to wreak havoc in Dalston, East London, on Monday night, the men, armed with baseball bats, snooker cues and even chair legs, sent them packing.
Trouble started about 8.30pm when a group of 15 youths set fire to a bus. Later another mob of around 20 arrived. Kebab shop owner Omer Asili, 29, said: ‘The police were telling us not to chase them, but it was only down to us that they went away.’
Monday, August 8, 2011
Flames, Rioting Engulf London for Third Day
Monday, August 8, 2011 by Agence France-Presse
by Guy Jackson
Violence spread across London for a third day on Monday with riot police tackling youths setting fire to cars and properties and looting shops in some of the worst rioting in the capital in years.
Buildings were in flames in Peckham, Lewisham and Croydon in the south of the capital while gangs of looters roamed the streets of Hackney in the east.
Hundreds of riot police poured into Hackney to try to contain the violence in a district just a few miles (kilometers) from where the 2012 Olympics will take place this time next year.
As darkness fell, police wielding batons pushed the youths back, while local residents hoping to return to their homes were kept behind police cordons.
In Croydon, an entire block of buildings was ablaze, sending flames leaping into the night sky.
The violence first erupted on Saturday in the multi-ethnic neighborhood of Tottenham in north London after a man was shot dead by police two days earlier.
Copycat violence then spread to other areas of the British capital on Sunday before reaching to new districts on Monday.
Home Secretary Theresa May, who cut short her holiday to return to London, condemned the riots as "sheer criminality" and vowed that the perpetrators would face justice.
"The violence we've seen, the looting we've seen, the thuggery we've seen -- this is sheer criminality," she said.
"These people will be brought to justice, they will be made to face the consequences of their actions."
Police said they had arrested 215 people before Monday's violence, including an 11-year-old boy. At least 35 police officers were injured in the unrest at the weekend.
The violence even spread beyond London after police said a group of youths in Birmingham, central England, smashed shop windows in the city center and stole merchandise, but reports said the violence was under control.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on Monday visited homes and businesses burned down during the riots in Tottenham.
Tensions remained high in the area following the shooting on Thursday of 29-year-old Mark Duggan, amid fresh doubts about the original account of his death during a police operation against gun crime within the black community.
The father-of-four was shot in a taxi in what was initially said to have been an exchange of gunfire. But reports said it was possible that police officers were not under attack when they opened fire.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), the watchdog probing Duggan's death, was expected to release the test results on Tuesday.
On Sunday, shops were looted and police officers pelted with stones in the southern district of Brixton; in Enfield, Walthamstow and Islington in the north and east, and on Oxford Street in the city centre.
Clegg -- who is officially in charge while Prime Minister David Cameron is on holiday in Italy -- said there was "no excuse whatsoever" for such attacks.
"The violence we saw last night (Sunday) had absolutely nothing to do with the death of Mr Duggan. It was needless, opportunist theft and violence -- nothing more and nothing less," he said.
During a tour of Tottenham, Clegg struck a more conciliatory tone, saying: "Clearly this is something that leaves big scars and we need to work together to start to heal those scars."
Although police and politicians said much of the violence was opportunistic, community leaders and many residents in Tottenham said it pointed to deep social unease in the area, one of the poorest in London.
David Bennie, in his late 40s, was riding his bicycle on his way up to look at the damage.
"Quite a few people were expecting riots this summer here. The economic situation has been building up and all it needed was a spark."
Tottenham was the scene of severe rioting on the Broadwater Farm housing estate in 1985 when police constable Keith Blakelock was hacked to death.
After Duggan's death, rumors spread online that he had been killed in an assassination-style execution with shots to the head -- something the IPCC was forced to deny in a statement.
Cheryline Lee, a Tottenham resident in her 50s, told AFP: "The police did not give the community any information about this man who was shot.
"But burning buildings like this is much too much. People have lost their houses and people have lost their jobs as well."
by Guy Jackson
Violence spread across London for a third day on Monday with riot police tackling youths setting fire to cars and properties and looting shops in some of the worst rioting in the capital in years.
Buildings were in flames in Peckham, Lewisham and Croydon in the south of the capital while gangs of looters roamed the streets of Hackney in the east.
Hundreds of riot police poured into Hackney to try to contain the violence in a district just a few miles (kilometers) from where the 2012 Olympics will take place this time next year.
As darkness fell, police wielding batons pushed the youths back, while local residents hoping to return to their homes were kept behind police cordons.
In Croydon, an entire block of buildings was ablaze, sending flames leaping into the night sky.
The violence first erupted on Saturday in the multi-ethnic neighborhood of Tottenham in north London after a man was shot dead by police two days earlier.
Copycat violence then spread to other areas of the British capital on Sunday before reaching to new districts on Monday.
Home Secretary Theresa May, who cut short her holiday to return to London, condemned the riots as "sheer criminality" and vowed that the perpetrators would face justice.
"The violence we've seen, the looting we've seen, the thuggery we've seen -- this is sheer criminality," she said.
"These people will be brought to justice, they will be made to face the consequences of their actions."
Police said they had arrested 215 people before Monday's violence, including an 11-year-old boy. At least 35 police officers were injured in the unrest at the weekend.
The violence even spread beyond London after police said a group of youths in Birmingham, central England, smashed shop windows in the city center and stole merchandise, but reports said the violence was under control.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on Monday visited homes and businesses burned down during the riots in Tottenham.
Tensions remained high in the area following the shooting on Thursday of 29-year-old Mark Duggan, amid fresh doubts about the original account of his death during a police operation against gun crime within the black community.
The father-of-four was shot in a taxi in what was initially said to have been an exchange of gunfire. But reports said it was possible that police officers were not under attack when they opened fire.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), the watchdog probing Duggan's death, was expected to release the test results on Tuesday.
On Sunday, shops were looted and police officers pelted with stones in the southern district of Brixton; in Enfield, Walthamstow and Islington in the north and east, and on Oxford Street in the city centre.
Clegg -- who is officially in charge while Prime Minister David Cameron is on holiday in Italy -- said there was "no excuse whatsoever" for such attacks.
"The violence we saw last night (Sunday) had absolutely nothing to do with the death of Mr Duggan. It was needless, opportunist theft and violence -- nothing more and nothing less," he said.
During a tour of Tottenham, Clegg struck a more conciliatory tone, saying: "Clearly this is something that leaves big scars and we need to work together to start to heal those scars."
Although police and politicians said much of the violence was opportunistic, community leaders and many residents in Tottenham said it pointed to deep social unease in the area, one of the poorest in London.
David Bennie, in his late 40s, was riding his bicycle on his way up to look at the damage.
"Quite a few people were expecting riots this summer here. The economic situation has been building up and all it needed was a spark."
Tottenham was the scene of severe rioting on the Broadwater Farm housing estate in 1985 when police constable Keith Blakelock was hacked to death.
After Duggan's death, rumors spread online that he had been killed in an assassination-style execution with shots to the head -- something the IPCC was forced to deny in a statement.
Cheryline Lee, a Tottenham resident in her 50s, told AFP: "The police did not give the community any information about this man who was shot.
"But burning buildings like this is much too much. People have lost their houses and people have lost their jobs as well."
Monday, March 28, 2011
500,000 London Marchers Protest Massive Spending Cuts in Britain
Saturday, March 26, 2011 by Los Angeles Times
It was one of the biggest demonstrations since rallies in 2003 against the Iraq war.
by Henry Chu
LONDON – Tens of thousands of demonstrators whistled, chanted, drummed and marched their way through the heart of London on Saturday to protest massive government spending cuts that threaten to leave almost no part of British society untouched.
Over 500,000 Brits turnout for the anti-cuts march in London, Saturday, March 26, 2011. It was one of the biggest public demonstrations in Britain since 2003, when antiwar rallies were held across the country before the invasion of Iraq. Organizers said up to 500,000 people participated in the march, whose carnival-like atmosphere was briefly marred by black-clad anarchists who smashed a few shop windows, flung paint bombs and attacked luxury icons such as the Ritz Hotel.
The protesters gathered here from all corners of Britain to express their outrage over a whopping $130 billion in cutbacks that the government insists are necessary to tame a runaway budget deficit. The retrenchment is expected to result in a radical shakeup of bedrock social services such as welfare and healthcare and in the elimination of nearly half a million public-sector jobs.
"It's our right to march and to say we don't accept any of this," said Corinne Drummond, 37, a nurse from East London who joined several colleagues for the demonstration, which began in the morning and lasted for hours.
On a gray and occasionally drizzly spring day, a huge of column of protesters snaked its way along some of London's best-known streets, past landmarks such as Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and through Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.
They were a motley crowd of civil servants, environmentalists, prison officers, academics, feminists and young parents with toddlers on their shoulders. "Don't believe in the deficit," some placards exhorted, while other signs and T-shirts called for a "general strike now" and exhorted Britons to "make tea, not war."
In Hyde Park, the leader of the opposition Labor Party ridiculed Prime Minister David Cameron's vision of a "Big Society" full of citizen volunteers who plug the holes left by cuts in government spending.
"You wanted to create a Big Society. This is the Big Society, the big society united against what your government is doing to our country," Ed Miliband said in a speech that invoked Martin Luther King Jr. and the American civil rights movement. "We stand today not for the minority. We stand today for the mainstream majority of Britain."
The Labor Party, which was kicked out by voters in May after 13 years in power, acknowledges that some cuts are unavoidable to shrink a deficit built up largely under its watch. But it says the scale and pace of the austerity plan put forward by the Conservative Party-led government will strangle Britain's fledgling economic recovery and hurt the most vulnerable members of society.
Effects of the belt-tightening will begin to be felt more acutely next month, when libraries start closing down, youth programs disappear, social workers get laid off and fewer buses ply the streets. In the northern city of Manchester, police are bracing for the elimination of nearly 3,000 jobs – a quarter of the department's workforce.
Analysts say the spending cuts could change the fabric of British society in a way not seen since the free-enterprise revolution of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
"It's changing the whole ethos of everything," said nurse Rikke Albert, 37. "That's not what I signed up for when I did my training."
It was one of the biggest demonstrations since rallies in 2003 against the Iraq war.
by Henry Chu
LONDON – Tens of thousands of demonstrators whistled, chanted, drummed and marched their way through the heart of London on Saturday to protest massive government spending cuts that threaten to leave almost no part of British society untouched.
Over 500,000 Brits turnout for the anti-cuts march in London, Saturday, March 26, 2011. It was one of the biggest public demonstrations in Britain since 2003, when antiwar rallies were held across the country before the invasion of Iraq. Organizers said up to 500,000 people participated in the march, whose carnival-like atmosphere was briefly marred by black-clad anarchists who smashed a few shop windows, flung paint bombs and attacked luxury icons such as the Ritz Hotel.
The protesters gathered here from all corners of Britain to express their outrage over a whopping $130 billion in cutbacks that the government insists are necessary to tame a runaway budget deficit. The retrenchment is expected to result in a radical shakeup of bedrock social services such as welfare and healthcare and in the elimination of nearly half a million public-sector jobs.
"It's our right to march and to say we don't accept any of this," said Corinne Drummond, 37, a nurse from East London who joined several colleagues for the demonstration, which began in the morning and lasted for hours.
On a gray and occasionally drizzly spring day, a huge of column of protesters snaked its way along some of London's best-known streets, past landmarks such as Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and through Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.
They were a motley crowd of civil servants, environmentalists, prison officers, academics, feminists and young parents with toddlers on their shoulders. "Don't believe in the deficit," some placards exhorted, while other signs and T-shirts called for a "general strike now" and exhorted Britons to "make tea, not war."
In Hyde Park, the leader of the opposition Labor Party ridiculed Prime Minister David Cameron's vision of a "Big Society" full of citizen volunteers who plug the holes left by cuts in government spending.
"You wanted to create a Big Society. This is the Big Society, the big society united against what your government is doing to our country," Ed Miliband said in a speech that invoked Martin Luther King Jr. and the American civil rights movement. "We stand today not for the minority. We stand today for the mainstream majority of Britain."
The Labor Party, which was kicked out by voters in May after 13 years in power, acknowledges that some cuts are unavoidable to shrink a deficit built up largely under its watch. But it says the scale and pace of the austerity plan put forward by the Conservative Party-led government will strangle Britain's fledgling economic recovery and hurt the most vulnerable members of society.
Effects of the belt-tightening will begin to be felt more acutely next month, when libraries start closing down, youth programs disappear, social workers get laid off and fewer buses ply the streets. In the northern city of Manchester, police are bracing for the elimination of nearly 3,000 jobs – a quarter of the department's workforce.
Analysts say the spending cuts could change the fabric of British society in a way not seen since the free-enterprise revolution of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
"It's changing the whole ethos of everything," said nurse Rikke Albert, 37. "That's not what I signed up for when I did my training."
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