Rioting and Chablis

[purplecat]

I was just emailed the link to the Guardian live twitter on the G20 protests (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/01/g20-london-summit-twitter).

I have not really paid much attention to twitter before but must say I'm finding the impression this one is giving of a vicious fight between the police and rioters (drinking chilled chablis and (shock horror!) not wearing ties) more than a little surreal.

I gather one journalist is in some bank restaurant overlooking the riot (hence the tieless chablis-drinking bankers who are, presumably, treating the injuries, brutality and mayhem as some kind of spectator sport). Billy Bragg is also involved, somehow, though I haven't quite worked that bit out.

Comments

[sixgun45lc.livejournal.com]

There was an excellent photograph of a bobby sergeant stuffing a rioter on the lead story of my local news station this morning.

[purplecat]

The reports at the moment are very contradictory, its hard to tell whether it was a largely peaceful protest marred by a few thugs or something much nastier. I imagine it will be a little clearer tomorrow.

[sixgun45lc.livejournal.com]

I recall the WTO riots here in Seattle in 99. Lots of protesters being led into doing some really stupid stuff by a much smaller but more vocal group of self-described anarchists. Rioting, burning or property, assaults on police officers and civilians. Not good.

[lukadreaming.livejournal.com]

You can't have a protest without Billy Bragg -- it's in the rules!