Riots are the language of the unheard

So said Martin Luther King. We are hearing on a loop how the violence is down to thuggery, and these "random acts of violence" have no place in our society. The same media loop that told us Jean Charles de Menezes was wearing a padded jacket and jumped the barriers. The same loop that told us we had to go to war because Iraq had "weapons of mass destruction". The same loop that tells us a handful of people turned up to show solidarity for the people of Palestine during one of many attacks on their human rights, when witnesses can say the streets were packed. The same loop that calls the flattening of buildings and homes in Afghanistan and Iraq "collateral damage" and has nothing to say of state sanctioned torture and disappearances. Are we really meant to buy this?

The biggest danger is not the youths roaming the streets, the fires being set, the looting, the fear. The biggest danger is the erosion of Human Rights this may well precipitate. Already cases are being "rushed through the courts". I want to know how sure are the police they have arrested the right person before a case is rushed. I saw 6 armed officers surround a totally innocent middle aged man yesterday because they were certain he was a terrorist. They were proven wrong. Must we still be fed the myth that the State is never mistaken, never acts like a hooligan, never disregards the feelings of others. We only have to look at the destruction of land, homes, lives during 2 illegal wars- and that is abroad and home.

I want to hear people ask why has this happened and what can we do to move forward. With traditional British stiff upper lipness- the refusal to engage with these extreme emotions: we have facebook groups suggesting we all have a nice cup of tea tonight and lead by example. Theres been enough sitting around and drinking cups of tea while innocent men are incarcerated in secret prisons,while Blair took us to 2 illegal wars, while the banks were rewarded and people lost their jobs. While the die hards were organising protests and signing petitions, the UK had a cup of tea, enjoyed some state blessed 24 hr drinking and watched X Factor. Now those that feel they have not been heard have taken to the streets. That kind of anger isnt just down to social networking or wanting a big telly- its deep seated, its almost generational. If you sat and asked a group of these people why are you doing this and really asked really listened you might hear stories of abuse, deprivation, job losses, lack of education, schools shut, stop and search powers abused and on and on. One youth from Hackney said people were sick of the police. He had been stopped 17 times in one week! You try going through that and know its happening because you are brown/black/live on the wrong street/ are being scapegoated- anything and see if you dont feel like throwing a brick or ten.

I am in no way justifying the damage, the loss, the fear. Its wrong. Its wrong when governments do it and when people do it. But lets look at how we got here. The country should be buzzing with people getting into communities, coming together sitting and talking about what can be done. Someone may be able to help re build the corner shop, someone may know the parents of the kids out there doing this and fancies going round to chat to the potential troublemakers, and so skills are pooled. But sitting at home, isolated, with your laptop, tv? Thats what got us here in the first place.

Community. Community. Share share share. Ask questions and dont accept all the answers we get. We ask and we ask and we ask again and we say we will use this to bring about the shift, the change we crave. We will most definitely not be passive in the running of our lives anymore. Sod the tea, Im going out to talk to my neighbour, to build a community. Right now.