THAMESMEAD: Violence forces early end to festival (From News Shopper)

'a number of youths were issued with fixed penalty notices for public order offences.' - right, that will teach them... NOT

As the Conservative candidate for Erith & Thamesmead, I spent last Saturday meeting residents, going to a fundraising event, visiting the Belvedere Community Forum and finally I went to the Thamesmead Festival.

The Thamesmead Festival started out as a vibrant and exciting event, but I quickly felt a certain tension in the air which made me think that something bad might happen. Sadly for the overwhelming majority of decent people there, it did.

Interestingly the News Shopper devotes most of the article to quotes from the Labour MP John Austin. Maybe one day, they'll ask me for a quote on how badly Labour have let down and taken for granted the people of Erith & Thamesmead!

However, in the meantime we need to consider the response of the Police at this event.


'A stand-off developed between police, who included officers from the Met Police's Territorial Support Group, and about 200 youths, with bottles and bricks thrown at the police.

A police helicopter was also called in.

Eventually the crowds dispersed and the Met said a number of youths were issued with fixed penalty notices for public order offences.'


Oh come on! Is that the best we can do? If people throw bricks and bottles at the Police they should be arrested, charged and punished. Severely.

Obviously since the G20 debacle our Police have been emasculated and have been reduced little more than mobile punch bags that can issue Fixed Penalty Notices for a living. Why doesn't the gutless Home Office just get on with it and rename our hard working and brave coppers Traffic Wardens!

Pathetic.
www.colinbloom.co.uk

Southwark Park had the same trouble, the local community have there fun in the day time and then at night, the gangs move in.

Colin Bloom wrote:
As the Conservative candidate for Erith & Thamesmead, I spent last Saturday meeting residents, going to a fundraising event, visiting the Belvedere Community Forum and finally I went to the Thamesmead Festival. The Thamesmead Festival started out as a vibrant and exciting event, but I quickly felt a certain tension in the air which made me think that something bad might happen. Sadly for the overwhelming majority of decent people there, it did. Interestingly the News Shopper devotes most of the article to quotes from the Labour MP John Austin. Maybe one day, they'll ask me for a quote on how badly Labour have let down and taken for granted the people of Erith & Thamesmead! However, in the meantime we need to consider the response of the Police at this event. 'A stand-off developed between police, who included officers from the Met Police's Territorial Support Group, and about 200 youths, with bottles and bricks thrown at the police. A police helicopter was also called in. Eventually the crowds dispersed and the Met said a number of youths were issued with fixed penalty notices for public order offences.' Oh come on! Is that the best we can do? If people throw bricks and bottles at the Police they should be arrested, charged and punished. Severely. Obviously since the G20 debacle our Police have been emasculated and have been reduced little more than mobile punch bags that can issue Fixed Penalty Notices for a living. Why doesn't the gutless Home Office just get on with it and rename our hard working and brave coppers Traffic Wardens! Pathetic. www.colinbloom.co.uk

You are pathetic for trying to use this for votes!

It has nothing to do with Labour letting the people down (and I dont vote labour before you ask)

This is just down to the scumbag people who live over there --- AND NO NOT EVERYONE ARE SCUMBAGS JUST THE LOT THAT STARTED THE TROUBLE

I have visited this event since it first started several years ago. It used to be a good day out but last year noticed that there were alot of gangs roaming about and decided I would not go this year. I am not surprised that there was trouble. They are allowed to wander about intimidating people who are there just to enjoy themselves. But this is just part of the decline of Thamesmead I am afraid. I have lived here for almost 20 years and cannot wait to move, if only I could sell my house, I would. But not many people want to move to a 'toilet'

Colin Bloom - would your esteemed leader publish a clear, concise and unambiguous conservatory party policy on crime and punishment with a guarantee of implementation within agreed timeframe, assuming victory in next general election? It's easy to knock others (very easy at the moment!) but we need promises followed by action...

"..a clear, concise and unambiguous conservatory party policy.."

That'll be the one calling for bigger panes of glass and wider french doors, I presume...?

Oh my god i cant believe it violence and trouble in thamesmead!!!Is this actually supposed to be shocking news isnt it the same every week there?

!! got me there - banged to rights - wonder what I was thinking of when I was typing it!!??

I attended this festival to enjoy a fun day out at my local festival. However i strongly believe that the police's attitude towards us youtes resulted to the violence. I myself saw my friend geting hit innocently by a officer as she was waitin for the bus, he screamed " MOVE OUT THE WAY" however i along side everyone else was confused as we were told to go home but they were blocking the way for us to go home? noiw tell me how this works. In this i conclude that some of my friends were arrested some may have cuase this themselves, but some were victimised by the police. Im not saying the police were all in wrong but they in some way caused this outrageous riot gang fight. in this article i believe it says there was bricks and glass being thrown at police. as i and i could gather 100 + witnesses that only 1 glass bottle was thrown towards the police. therefore this article is making false accuactions. To continue, i believe racial discrimination was taken place by the police. I am not black but i believe black boys in particular were stereotyped as gang members. Many young kids were getin thrown around by the police and i witness that they kneed my friend in the back as he was falling. if you tink i am exaggerating i will proudly get a petition of witnesses. In this society i hear many times that children of all ages are gettin involved in gang affiliations. however, how do u expect us to work with the community and police if we are getin stereotyped for wearin something "green" or simpily just a hoddie? Honestly, you are really wrong. Many of us were going home or to town centre to eat until we were closed in by a force of police. no fights were happening at this point. until the police took matters into there own hands. This is profound! i cannot believe the events of that saturday as i strongly agree with most witenees that the police brought this trouble. I am a 15years old girl living in thamesmead. I would just like to ask Everyone to take a look at this message and see it from the youths views and maybe this society will improve and work togetgher.

JuliaM wrote:
"..a clear, concise and unambiguous conservatory party policy.."

That'll be the one calling for bigger panes of glass and wider french doors, I presume...?

!! got me there - banged to rights - wonder what I was thinking of when I was typing it!!??

Serina.ly - thanks - would be interested to hear the other side of the story from others who were there...

Oh Serina, if only you could see how damning your words truely are. You protest that you and your friends were not behaving like yobs and defend your group by saying "only 1 glass bottle was thrown towards the police" When was this not behaving like a yob? If it was one or 100 bottles it is never justifiable. It is unacceptable behaviour in a decent society. What right do any of your friends have to throw bottles at the police?

You and your friends signal everything that is wrong with our society. You don't know the meaning of the word NO, and when someone shows some authority and tells you you can't do something, you lash out, and start behaving like animals. If the police tell you to do something you should do it. Its called respect and following the rules of the land, which apply to you and your group too whether you like the rules or not.

Look at you behaviour that day and be honest, were you being loud and shouting, were you swearing, where you pushing each other and messing around. Where you drinking and smoking? When in a large group these behaviours are all threatening to people around you.

The police arn't out to get you but they are there to challange unacceptable behaviour, and I'm absolutely sick to death of the racism card, The reason the black boys may have been challenged as gang members is because statistically they are most likely to be gang members FACT. When looking for a terrorist at a rail station who would you stop and search. The middle eastern guy or the little white old granny? You would stop the person most statistically likely to be the terrorist.

You ask how can we expect you to work with the community when we sterotype you? Where does the expecting part come into it? There should be no question about you pulling your weight as part of the community. You Are part of the community, its just your choice whether to be an active positive member who takes the good with the bad, or whether you behave like a petulant child and only behave and participate when things are going your way.

The only expectation I have of you is that you encourage your friends to gain the repect you strive to achieve, by behaving like decent human beings and earning it

smithers2009 wrote:
Oh Serina, if only you could see how damning your words truely are. You protest that you and your friends were not behaving like yobs and defend your group by saying "only 1 glass bottle was thrown towards the police" When was this not behaving like a yob? If it was one or 100 bottles it is never justifiable. It is unacceptable behaviour in a decent society. What right do any of your friends have to throw bottles at the police? You and your friends signal everything that is wrong with our society. You don't know the meaning of the word NO, and when someone shows some authority and tells you you can't do something, you lash out, and start behaving like animals. If the police tell you to do something you should do it. Its called respect and following the rules of the land, which apply to you and your group too whether you like the rules or not. Look at you behaviour that day and be honest, were you being loud and shouting, were you swearing, where you pushing each other and messing around. Where you drinking and smoking? When in a large group these behaviours are all threatening to people around you. The police arn't out to get you but they are there to challange unacceptable behaviour, and I'm absolutely sick to death of the racism card, The reason the black boys may have been challenged as gang members is because statistically they are most likely to be gang members FACT. When looking for a terrorist at a rail station who would you stop and search. The middle eastern guy or the little white old granny? You would stop the person most statistically likely to be the terrorist. You ask how can we expect you to work with the community when we sterotype you? Where does the expecting part come into it? There should be no question about you pulling your weight as part of the community. You Are part of the community, its just your choice whether to be an active positive member who takes the good with the bad, or whether you behave like a petulant child and only behave and participate when things are going your way. The only expectation I have of you is that you encourage your friends to gain the repect you strive to achieve, by behaving like decent human beings and earning it

well said

What the police actually got wrong was again the softly sofly approach,they have there hands tied if they had attempted to remove these people they would have been critisced so they stood back, i myself did witness the escalation of the trouble caused entirley by the youths and for you to then say that black boys were then disriminated against is a disgrace, thier were lots of decent black british people at the event there to enjoy the festival who were not envolved cause they went home when asked like the rest of us, this is because the skin colour is not the problem the problem is with the culture of these youths many from Africa or African descent and as for the police not letting them go, again totally wrong the police only blocked the road after the gang refused to move on, i know cause i had to walk past when there were zero police there cause i was actually going in to town, having to stop an african youth battering a pretty black girl on the way, i guess that was her fault to eh, oh and excuse my ignorance by the way because i know Africa is a continent and not a country,

most of u r racist.. x

Serina,

I would certainly NOT call myself a racist!!!!!
Itsafinelife: Well said.