Over the past few days I read and watched the news with increasing sadness and disbelief as the senseless looting and violence has spread across the city. As I went to bed last night the vandals were moving closer to home as cars were burned in nearby Lewisham and shops vandalised in Woolwich.
Today when I went to buy some milk I was surprised to see my closest Tesco closed, and then spooked as it became clear that all the shops along the road were closed. I reached the local Co-op to find its windows smashed in - and heard the estate agent closing up his shop explain that the police advised all the shop owners to close up for the day as there was the possibility of something kicking off in central Greenwich.
At 2 in the afternoon.
I don't know what's going on and I don't know why it's happening. I watch the news and listen to the experts try to explain it but realise it will never make sense to me.
What I do know is - this isn't London. Whatever is happening will pass and the goodness that I see in London every day will win out.
I know that because of photos like this one. It was taken in Clapham this morning at an impromptu, Twitter inspired, London clean up flash mob. Thousands and thousands of people are signing up to similar clean up groups around the city.
That is my London.
(Apologies for the lack of knitting content. Not much to report in any event. I have finished the Princess edging and just into the wide border. Pics and details in next update.)
4 comments:
I just can't understand it, either. Love the photo of the clean up people with brooms. Makes me hopeful that society isn't completely breaking down. :-/
Thank you for the picture - I hadn't heard this side of the story. You're right, it's weird and strange to hear the reports from London.
Goodness, Soo. It was well explained in a Reuters article I read early this morning. Unemployed, frustrated people with too much time on their hands facing a government bent on austerity and refusing to face the realities (and repercussions) of the New Jobless Economy.
As I read the article, I was not amused to notice that everything your government has been doing, ours is bent on imitating. Riots in Philly last night.
Notice that the first thing your parliament did was form a commission for investigating police brutality. Not a word about rioter brutality, reasons for rioting, or any other logical concept that might begin to address the causes. Watch our goverment form a commission to investigate race relations amongst rioters, possible sugary-soda related behavior, and the effect of TV on the youth of today.
I love your London!
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