"A riot is an assembly of three or more persons who disturb the peace tumultuously."
So St. Patrick's Day celebrations turned into a riot in London, Ont., March 17, 2012.
At least 11 people were arrested, and police urged others involved in the violence to step forward (to get arrested?). Seven of the individuals arrested were students of the city's Fanshawe College, police chief Brad Duncan said. Duncan called the incident a "dynamic, dangerous and highly charged situation" that continued into early Sunday. He vowed investigators will track down more of those involved. "There were a number of individuals burned last night. The severity of this mob mentality could easily have resulted in deaths". He praised officers for remaining at the scene and preventing nearby houses from being vandalized. An estimated 1,000 people surrounded a TV news truck that had been tipped over and set on fire. A witness said the crowd "wanted to egg on the police." The crowd kept both police and firefighters away from the vehicle by continuing to smash beer bottles and throw other debris. "In addition, they used laser pointers aimed at police officers' eyes to try to disrupt their response," said Duncan. "Every one of our members in attendance on Fleming Drive was assaulted last night," he
said. "They were literally attacked with full bottles of beer and liquor, bricks, wood planks, two-by-fours, debris, tires, rims and other various items. In addition, members of the crowd used laser pointers aimed at our officers' eyes to try to disrupt our response."
London mayor Joe Fontana said he is disgusted and disappointed: "This is not the London, Ont., we all know....[but] these irresponsible hooligans will pay....they face charges including unlawful assembly, assaulting police and resisting arrest."The riot will cost the city an estimated $100,000 in damages,
according to authorities who described the riot as a war zone as never seen in the community.
Platoon Chief Paul Carew with the London Fire Department told CBC News rioters threw "whatever they had on hand on the fire, including mattresses and fence posts."Firefighters were the first emergency
responders, arriving to deal with a reported brush fire on Fleming Drive, just east of the college, at 10 p.m. Saturday. They had to call for police backup after they came under attack by flying bottles and bricks.About 50 police officers responded and the crowd continued to grow to about 1,000 people, many of them students, who surrounded a TV news truck that had been tipped over and set on fire.
It was clear the rioters wanted to provoke police, said Karlie Rogerson, a Fanshawe College student who
witnessed the mayhem and was struck in the face by a flying bottle. Rogerson said she was working at a local pub Saturday night, but arrived at the centre of the riot about 11 p.m. to see a car already in flames. "[The fire] was still being fuelled by students. They were throwing in lawn chairs and fences and whatever they could find," she told CBC News.
Commentary:
While protesters in other parts of the world rise up for causes like justice, fairness, and equality, in riots in Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and now London its more likely the shiftless young riot over hockey games and pseudo holidays unmoved by election fraud and loss of civil liberties which have yet to cause a similar stir.
Any chance the unrest may be connected to London's overall unemployment rate of almost 11%, one of the highest in the country is dismissed. The youth unemployment rate is even higher.
... But those without hope are not invested in the current system.
True, when alcohol is consumed it it lowers the inhibitions revealing an underlying sense of irresponsibility. It doesn't "cause" people to act a certain way but lowers their natural inhibition from doing something. Drunken hooligans who grew up in a permissive society without the first clue of right and wrong or the consequences of their actions can and will do anything.
Canada is getting a reputation the world over for'riots'. People are noticing hockey riots, G20 riots and when people drink they may start fires, fight, become obnoxious, loud, have unprotected sex, lose control and get taken advantage of or worse....not something you might see from smoking weed for example. Drunks are fuelled by a dangerous combination of adreniline, alcohol and the mistaken belief
that their actions are anonymous and if arrested, "consequences for their actions" will be minimal.
Something else is at play. These rioters, who do not come from any sort of economically or socially underprivileged class combine lowered inhibition with lack of respect for others - no regard for community. Perhaps a sense of entitlement coupled with a belief that there are no consequences to any of their actions, gangs of alcohol infused hooligans destroy property for no reason. The same class of citizen will cut in line for services, have a late night piss on an indoor ATM, or destroy hotel rooms.
We have to wonder how the drunken uninhibited young are feeling to act out in this way. These riots are not isolated incidents. In the wider world picture, inhibitions are dropping leading to riots against government, big business, bank fraud. More people, in general, are protesting.
In politics to business. we find those in authority shirking responsibility for anything. No morals, no ethics, no integrity. Politicians speaking out of both sides of their mouth and when caught at it, deny it, or point their fingers at someone else. Corporte governors and executives cook the books for personal gain. Is there any wonder the younger generation has grown up with no respect for anything.
http://rt.com/news/terrorist-security-behavior-yawn-835/
People have every reason to be more collectively pessimistic about their future than ever before.
Mortgaging their future for unaffordable tuition, excessive unemployment among the under 20 -the highest since the second world war, a indebted economy, unaffordable urban housing prices, war, environmental issues, disrespect for leadership in government, lack of respect for civil authority - the police. Diminished "political space" left to criticize cause people to lash out against them.
However, respect for the law starts with our leaders. With the amount of corruption, greed, lies, and lawless politicians, it's no wonder youths are acting out. They aren't seeing accountability for past actions and they're taking their cues accordingly. Monkey see, monkey do. These riots are beginning to reflect the unspoken mood of Canadian society at large. " People are seeing and feeling, firsthand, this corrupt government at work, and the impotence of both the Opposition, and the general public,in trying to introduce some reason and logic into the mix.When the "Authorities " continuously violate the very laws they are supposed to uphold, when the Courts support injustice and the BANKS and Corporations run amok, people get angry.
"When people lose everything and have nothing left to lose, they lose it!" G. Celente.
When people come together, en mass, and march, non violently to parliament and demand crooked politicians get removed from power, or march on corrupt institutions, this can lead to positive change
- but some vans may be destroyed.
sources:
Karlie Rogerson
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/03/18/london-ontario-st-patricks-day-vandalism.html
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