In case you haven’t smelled the burning, at this very moment youth around the England are organizing riots via Twitter and Facebook—ostensibly over the shooting death of a Tottenham man by London police.
It’s a big ol’ mess with the Prime Minister calling the government back from vacation early so they can sic the police on the rioters. Meanwhile the rioters continue smashing store front windows with cinderblocks and torching entire buildings whole.
So why after three days of rioting are we just covering it now? Well, because its bled into Birmingham’s gay district of course (duh).
ZONE Magazine reports:
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The London riots have spread beyond the capital to Birmingham, including the Gay Village. Popular gay bars Missing, The Loft Lounge, Equator, Purple Bar and The Angel Bar were all closed on the advice of police at around 9pm last night. The police have confirmed that at least 35 arrests have already been made. The Birmingham Hippodrome theatre, which is located on the edge of the gay village in the Southside area of Birmingham, was on a ‘lockdown’ with up to 2,000 theatre-goers locked inside watching We Will Rock You. Following the performance, police escorted patrons to the safety of their cars in the Arcadian Centre.
Yes, queer bookstore Gay’s The Word was also singled out in the attacks but shit just got real—well, really gay, anyway. When 2,000 English theater-goers are locked in a theater to watch a musical about Freddie Mercury and Queen for their own good, you know things outside ain’t right.
Auntie Dogma
>>>So why after three days of rioting are we just covering it now?
Wrong. So why after three days of rioting are YOU just covering it now?
Eminent Victorian
Shame on Queerty for a headline like this. It’s not simply rude and wrong–it seems to be indicative of the seriously what-is-wrong-with-you new direction this site has taken. If we could see the name of a post’s author before we open it, we’d at least be able to avoid all this Daniel Villarreal crap.
Raymond
Who knew of the extent of Britain’s seething, smouldering racial problems? Appalling and dreadful.
xander
Ethnic and racial tensions in England have been aboil for years. Smaller skirmishes in places off the maps don’t get press coverage except by the local papers. When it turns to rioting in London and Birmingham, it’s now ‘news’.
Looking at the videos (youtube, cnn, etc.) — as opposed to only skimming the careful wording of journalists — shows a story of long-simmering rage and distrust among and between the minority populations (Blacks, Muslims, Indo-Pakistani people, etc.) and the majority.
Things may well get worse before they get better.
Skeloric
I’ve been concerned about the riots for awhile already.
In another forum, those riots impact a fellow member who I am on somewhat good terms with.
We are part of our overall communities, what hurts them should be our concern at all times.
Fagburn
Oh fuck off Queerty.
And Gay’s The Word wasn’t “singled out”.
Robert in NYC
xander, ethnic and racial tension has been smoldering for years across Europe and N. America for years, it’s nothing new and not confined to the UK. It only makes news when this sort of thing happens. Some say it has a lot to do with economics, but I’m not so sure about the UK situation. In France, Portugal, Spain and Greece, government buildings are always attacked and riots go on for much longer. This hasn’t been the case in the UK and it begs the question, why haven’t we seen that happen? There are many factors that come into play and economics isn’t the sole cause in this case.
Cdub
These riots are happening in a few cities across England, not the UK.
xander
@C dub : You’re right. AFAIK, not much has bubbled up elsewhere in the UK. Give it time, maybe.
@Robert in NYC : The country I’ve been following the most closely is France, and for at least 2 decades that’s been the seams bursting with issues of race, class, religion, and access to power. I’m not well-informed enough to compare the situation in England with the one across the Channel, but I sure don’t see economics as the main or sole driver of either nation’s riots and mayhem.
Robert in NYC
You are correct, Cdub.
xander
Gateway server messages are appearing…aaaack!
Keith Christiansen
I can remember when England used to be considered a “civilized” country. Not anymore unfortunately.
Daniel Villarreal
@Cdub: Thanks for the correction. We have changed the story above to reflect it.
James
Slight contradiction in the headline calling these riots the London riots and then talking about them hitting gay bars in Birmingham. Also, not much to do with the death of the man in Tottenham. This story needs a serious re-write, or, more sensibly, removal as it’s trivial nonsense.
paul f
No wonder there’s racial tension in England. Somehow Birmingham Alabama was transplanted across the pond and replaced by the English city. This must mean the city in Alabama has suddenly become civil and a place to visit with friends. I suspect they still talk “funny” though. See? I am now qualified to write articles here, move over Mr.Villarreal I’m hot on your heels! (And some people say I’m sarcastic, the nerve)
christopher di spirito
We care about the London riots because innocent people are dying and the violence is spreading beyond London to Birmingham and Liverpool. Some of us don’t give a flying fuck about Happy Hour but we do care about human life.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
The amount of PC nicey-nicey speak about these events make me want to puke………
These acts are not about “injustice” or “a desire to bring about change”…..
The only thing these scumbag thugs are “protesting” is their lack of flat screen TVs and various other material things. Going on rampages and destroying businesses,homes, and properties, punching and mugging young boys is nothing but a naked grab for goods…….
A strict curfew should be imposed, those violating it and continiuing the rampages should be stopped by any means neccesary and then prosecuted to the maxium charges and sentenced to the maxium punishment allowed…………
Cassius
What we see here in London is the inevitable result whenever a civization degenerates into a welfare state:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2024284/UK-riots-2011-Liberal-dogma-spawned-generation-brutalised-youths.html
Cassius
What we see here in London is the inevitable result whenever a civilization degenerates into a welfare state:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2024284/UK-riots-2011-Liberal-dogma-spawned-generation-brutalised-youths.html
SaveLondon
Maybe this site will help catch some of the scumbags : http://catchalooter.tumblr.com/
Ceedub
O c’mon Queerty. Good on you for changing UK to England – I admit that terminology of the British Isles is tricky to non-natives, but it’s not “The England”, any more than it’s “The Canada” or “The France”.
Patsy
The rainbow Union Jack offends me, please, let’s not associate ourselves with the British, eh wot?
Robert in NYC
Cassius, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Germany, which has the strongest economy in Europe, certainly far better than the U.S. is also a welfare state as is the entire EU for that matter. When underage boys start looting for candy and alcohol, electronics, that’s not about budget cuts and if it were, the entire nation would be in the streets protesting and targeting their anger at government buildings. That hasn’t happened.
Xander, France has a much longer tradition of civil unrest since the revolution. It’s a mix of things, just as it is in England and elsewhere. The riots in France especially, including Greece tend to draw the general public into it, whereas the ones in England haven’t and were totally unrelated to the shooting of a black man by police. Those louts exploited the situation to their own end. Thankfully, the situation has begun to calm down.