Yesterday, I was in Manchester City Centre around 3:30 in the afternoon, and all of a sudden,
news came sweeping down Market Street that Salford Precinct had been smashed and cars were burning, and
it was all headed to city centre. Shops began rolling down their lockers and people started evacuating.
On the way back to Salford, our bus encountered a gang of grey track suited boys (local chav uniform) aged 14-19, on bikes and walking, most of them wearing Halloween masks and balaclavas. The boy at the front of the mob came and attacked the bus, kicking the doors and banging on the glass. There's me, sat there with the baby, going into full-on "I WILL KILL A MOTHERf***ER THAT THREATENS MY BABY"-mode...
I wasn't keen to engage in conflict like they all clearly were, I just wanted to get home and bolt the doors and march up and down
our entry foyer with the mace! (which is precisely what I did when I got home)
After a while, the streets were desolate. There was the periodic police car that was wound up full throttle and you could hear it only touching the ground every few feet as it flew through.
The remainder of the night was eerily quiet. Only occasional sirens and speeding cars and helicopters.
But no one was on the street.
I sat watching BBC news in loops, phoning family in the States to let them know we're alright.
They've trashed Manchester.
I don't believe for a second that this is politically motivated.
It's just theft by thugs.
People have taken advantage of a catalyst in another area and morphed it into an excuse to go robbing and wrecking things.
I know where it's coming from, it's from being poor and having no hope of that changing.
There will be elements of that reality infused within many of the participants in this sequence of events.
But, it was clear yesterday that there was a structured plan.
I'm shocked that Greater Manchester Police announced they were diverting officers to London.
They should have kept that quiet.
Criminals must have thought, "Thanks for the tip, lads!"
You can't tell me a bunch of Northern thugs give a shit about what happened in Tottenham.
What went on in Manchester yesterday and last night was not about that.
And what really bothers me about it, is that if people think they can mob up and pull stunts like this, they will do it again.
I am afraid it will become more and more common place.
"I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving, England is mine, it owes me a living"
He's already said it all.
You know, the thing about Moz is that he's too intelligent to be a pop star, and he's always known it.
news came sweeping down Market Street that Salford Precinct had been smashed and cars were burning, and
it was all headed to city centre. Shops began rolling down their lockers and people started evacuating.
On the way back to Salford, our bus encountered a gang of grey track suited boys (local chav uniform) aged 14-19, on bikes and walking, most of them wearing Halloween masks and balaclavas. The boy at the front of the mob came and attacked the bus, kicking the doors and banging on the glass. There's me, sat there with the baby, going into full-on "I WILL KILL A MOTHERf***ER THAT THREATENS MY BABY"-mode...
I wasn't keen to engage in conflict like they all clearly were, I just wanted to get home and bolt the doors and march up and down
our entry foyer with the mace! (which is precisely what I did when I got home)
After a while, the streets were desolate. There was the periodic police car that was wound up full throttle and you could hear it only touching the ground every few feet as it flew through.
The remainder of the night was eerily quiet. Only occasional sirens and speeding cars and helicopters.
But no one was on the street.
I sat watching BBC news in loops, phoning family in the States to let them know we're alright.
They've trashed Manchester.
I don't believe for a second that this is politically motivated.
It's just theft by thugs.
People have taken advantage of a catalyst in another area and morphed it into an excuse to go robbing and wrecking things.
I know where it's coming from, it's from being poor and having no hope of that changing.
There will be elements of that reality infused within many of the participants in this sequence of events.
But, it was clear yesterday that there was a structured plan.
I'm shocked that Greater Manchester Police announced they were diverting officers to London.
They should have kept that quiet.
Criminals must have thought, "Thanks for the tip, lads!"
You can't tell me a bunch of Northern thugs give a shit about what happened in Tottenham.
What went on in Manchester yesterday and last night was not about that.
And what really bothers me about it, is that if people think they can mob up and pull stunts like this, they will do it again.
I am afraid it will become more and more common place.
"I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving, England is mine, it owes me a living"
He's already said it all.
You know, the thing about Moz is that he's too intelligent to be a pop star, and he's always known it.
