Steve Heyes .co .uk

1. “The rioters are mindless”

There is nothing mindless about coordinated attacks on areas away from the police, avoiding residential targets, and going for commercial premises. People in some of the areas hit have described seeing older men telling younger people what to do. The undoubted criminality in what is happening requires some street knowledge.

2. “It’s like a warzone/the middle east/apocalypse”

No, it isn’t. It is terrifying to sit in your home with gangs of young men outside, ripping up your front yard, hurling missiles, setting fire to cars, burning buildings. Lives are being put at risk – and there is a grave danger somebody is about to be killed. But this is not like a warzone, or an intifada or a biblical destruction of the world. We must keep our sense of perspective.

3. “The police should crack down”

Just remember it was tough policing that started this whole episode – officers shooting dead a man they believed was an imminent threat. Remember too how furious people get at police using kettling at demonstrations, charging with horses, wielding their batons and hurting people as they did at the G20 protests. The police are under pressure to use reasonable force – what that is changes according to public mood, it seems.

krishnangm - Tonight is a major test for us all

Another great article putting things in perspective.

Source: blogs.channel4.com