I live in the middle of a part of Bristol that just got caught up with riots. It's called Stokes Croft. Last Thursday was the start - you can read about it all over the internet (go google - bbc mention the music we played out our window!) - and tonight they're at it again.
It's not cool.
There is a lot I could say but it's only a short thought because I really want bed, I just also want to rant at someone and, as you well know, that is just what blogs are for.
It all started because the police made a big fat error in judgement when they raided a squat. That escalated into a 5+ hour fiasco in the middle of the crossroads outside. We could see and hear it from both sides of our house. The reaction was abysmal but it was, I believe, the response of a community that feels let down by the democratic process. The new Tesco that opened up a week before had been opposed since their secret underhand purchase became public and the only reason they won is because they have an unfair proportion of power, which in turn is because they're robbing our world of resources and selling it off too cheap.
But this week a protest was organised and that is what invited the police in. And I feel the main culprits are the "local" people who just wanted another night of cheap entertainment. They're whooping on the road below and all it's achieving is a bad nights sleep. So much for caring about the community.
The sad thing is that tonight's demonstration was originally organised by peaceful protesters, who pulled out and tried to cancel when they saw how much it had escalated. Plenty of us don't want Tesco to be there and are willing to protest in a peaceful and creative manner. Unfortunately, this generation of disenfranchised youth are so anti-leadership that they won't even respect their peers and, as a result, have dominated the whole campaign.
I buy into the philosophy (and theology) of "united we stand, divided we fall". Tonight I would suggest that a community united solely by hatred has very little hope of staying together...
It's not cool.
There is a lot I could say but it's only a short thought because I really want bed, I just also want to rant at someone and, as you well know, that is just what blogs are for.
It all started because the police made a big fat error in judgement when they raided a squat. That escalated into a 5+ hour fiasco in the middle of the crossroads outside. We could see and hear it from both sides of our house. The reaction was abysmal but it was, I believe, the response of a community that feels let down by the democratic process. The new Tesco that opened up a week before had been opposed since their secret underhand purchase became public and the only reason they won is because they have an unfair proportion of power, which in turn is because they're robbing our world of resources and selling it off too cheap.
But this week a protest was organised and that is what invited the police in. And I feel the main culprits are the "local" people who just wanted another night of cheap entertainment. They're whooping on the road below and all it's achieving is a bad nights sleep. So much for caring about the community.
The sad thing is that tonight's demonstration was originally organised by peaceful protesters, who pulled out and tried to cancel when they saw how much it had escalated. Plenty of us don't want Tesco to be there and are willing to protest in a peaceful and creative manner. Unfortunately, this generation of disenfranchised youth are so anti-leadership that they won't even respect their peers and, as a result, have dominated the whole campaign.
What this is is nothing short of the loudest voice having the most power and the biggest impact. That's just what they're accusing the police and Tesco of having done.
I buy into the philosophy (and theology) of "united we stand, divided we fall". Tonight I would suggest that a community united solely by hatred has very little hope of staying together...
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