Yesterday was a day of madness having gone back to the shop to do the clear up and still having the adrenaline pumping from the previous night. Me and a couple of guys went back into town to see how bad it still was. YES it was still bad but this time it was our choice to go into the mix of things the night before we didn't have the choice of being in that situation. So going back into that environment was strange the atmosphere in the air was intense it's something I cannot explain, something that I have not experienced before.
As we walked around there were all different kids about ranging from 8 - about 20 and it's definetly not a racist thing as there were all different races about. Walking around we managed at one point to be in the centre of the massive group of rioters. There must have been a few hundred people out there looking to cause mayhem. There were around us boasting what they have been doing and what else they going to carry on with. It's like acts of violence and terror is what these people love and its all they know.
We came across the burning car by Carrs Lane and just watching this car burn in the middle of this crazyness just brought it home and showed me that we are living in strange times. For something like this to happen you only ever see in the news at different parts of the country but it was happening here in our city.
These people showed no fear as at one point we were really in the thick of it as the riot police started to try and force there way back into town to get rid of the rioters. These people showed no fear by hurling rocks stones and all sorts at the riot police. It was just madness to see this happening. It felt really intimidating to see these gangs roam the streets of Brum looking for there next hit.
To end this post I'm going to say the police are doing the best they can but because the rioters have ways of getting around the centre it is harder for the police to get them. So for people that doubt the police forces out there, people do not realise how hard it is to get hold of these rioters!
Wednesday 10 August 2011
Tuesday 9 August 2011
9/8/2011 The Birmingham Riots, the Aftermath
So its the day after the riots hit Birmingham, I go back to town to see what the damage is in the centre. A lot of shops have smashed windows and the boards are up. But there are so many people all going around still shopping. Just goes to show people will always unite in times of great problems.
So I'm back at the store to help out with the clear up and it's just crazy how the madness from last night has left the shop floor. Like everything you have seen in the news is exactly what us guys are having to clean up after all that craziness of gangs of looters. Looking at it gives you the reminder that we were lucky to get out of that place and that the people doing it are just crazy young kids who just took a chance and have managed to get away with it.
Whilst doing the clean up I have to have a talk with some woman with a couple of others from the ordeal from last night and she reminds us that shock may kick in weeks later. So I'm just preparing myself for that day where it hits me how close I was to the looters.
I'm going to keep this blog short as I will be going out to get some photos and footage of tonight's events. Call me wreck less but then again I should have been a cameraman in the afghan war.
So I'm back at the store to help out with the clear up and it's just crazy how the madness from last night has left the shop floor. Like everything you have seen in the news is exactly what us guys are having to clean up after all that craziness of gangs of looters. Looking at it gives you the reminder that we were lucky to get out of that place and that the people doing it are just crazy young kids who just took a chance and have managed to get away with it.
Whilst doing the clean up I have to have a talk with some woman with a couple of others from the ordeal from last night and she reminds us that shock may kick in weeks later. So I'm just preparing myself for that day where it hits me how close I was to the looters.
I'm going to keep this blog short as I will be going out to get some photos and footage of tonight's events. Call me wreck less but then again I should have been a cameraman in the afghan war.
Monday 8 August 2011
8/8/2011 The riots of Birmingham and I just happen to work in Jessops
So it's 7pm and about to close the shop then all I hear is the shout
"there are rioter's in the shop, Phone the Police"
Quickly rush out of the stockroom to see through the gap of the door around 50 people at the front of the store taking cameras. The adrenaline rushing through, watching this happen the disbelief that this thing can actually happen in front of us. Around 6-8 of us just regular staff members watching people just rush in and take all these expensive items.
This felt so quick in terms that they came in and just took stuff it felt like 30 seconds but it could have been longer. The amount of time it took them to take the stuff and the amount of stuff they took in that time was unbelievable. So after the incident we go out to inspect what the shop floor looked like. Just a mess everywhere broken docks for the cameras and the constant ringing of the alarms blurting in our ears.
As we gather to realise what just happens the crowds outside the store sizing up potential shops around. We finally come to terms what has just happened in the store and how close we have to the the events that plague the city centre. Around an hour later we wait out at the back due to the police telling us to wait in the store until further instruction. When another wave of rioters hit the store but this time they are rushing toward the back towards where we are. It is then that we make the move to get to the fire exit. We make it out but it seems as though there is nowhere that we can get out of we feel trapped, as we leave the fire exit and we then end up with the rioters. So we barricade the door to stop the gangs getting to us and we look to find new options for us to get out.
Then one option that we find is the fire entrance to LA Fitness so me and a couple go in there to warn the people who are completely oblivious to what is going on outside. Again Adrenaline pumping I'm telling people to get there shit together as the rioters have just got into Jessops. It was like it was a scene out of a disaster movie but this was real, it was us guys trying to get out of this madness.
So we warn the people there they decide to leave too. We finally gather round as a group of people decides on what we should do. We decide we go back grab our stuff from the store but as we go there are riot police in full gear. We tell them the situation and they tell us it's not safe to be there and get away from the centre. Easier said than done. So we walk together as a group we find out that Broad Street is clear, we walk that way. There is this strange aura in the air, don't know where to go where to look it's just pure panic.
We carry on walking to broad street but you see groups of looter's, civilians we don't know who to trust. We ask a police man where to go they say get away from the centre and that the groups are not in one particular area it is fluid.
An act of madness can affect so much. We get to broad street we go to a bar just to figure out what to do then we hear gangs are heading our way so we leave again figuring what to do walking out of Birmingham centre. Finally get to a point where we can get picked up whilst waiting noticing that the police have stopped anyone coming into the city centre.
The night the riots broke out in Birmingham 8/8/2011. Just want to say to the guys I was with no one panicked and remained cool. So to the people Andy B, Ryan, Andy D, Lammy, Rhea, Jitu, Brad, Lynton. Its an experience only us guys will have and hope no one else has to go through it.
here is the footage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3-KeJYDOA8&feature=share
So check out the video and why are people doing it?
Your thoughts and posts
"there are rioter's in the shop, Phone the Police"
Quickly rush out of the stockroom to see through the gap of the door around 50 people at the front of the store taking cameras. The adrenaline rushing through, watching this happen the disbelief that this thing can actually happen in front of us. Around 6-8 of us just regular staff members watching people just rush in and take all these expensive items.
This felt so quick in terms that they came in and just took stuff it felt like 30 seconds but it could have been longer. The amount of time it took them to take the stuff and the amount of stuff they took in that time was unbelievable. So after the incident we go out to inspect what the shop floor looked like. Just a mess everywhere broken docks for the cameras and the constant ringing of the alarms blurting in our ears.
As we gather to realise what just happens the crowds outside the store sizing up potential shops around. We finally come to terms what has just happened in the store and how close we have to the the events that plague the city centre. Around an hour later we wait out at the back due to the police telling us to wait in the store until further instruction. When another wave of rioters hit the store but this time they are rushing toward the back towards where we are. It is then that we make the move to get to the fire exit. We make it out but it seems as though there is nowhere that we can get out of we feel trapped, as we leave the fire exit and we then end up with the rioters. So we barricade the door to stop the gangs getting to us and we look to find new options for us to get out.
Then one option that we find is the fire entrance to LA Fitness so me and a couple go in there to warn the people who are completely oblivious to what is going on outside. Again Adrenaline pumping I'm telling people to get there shit together as the rioters have just got into Jessops. It was like it was a scene out of a disaster movie but this was real, it was us guys trying to get out of this madness.
So we warn the people there they decide to leave too. We finally gather round as a group of people decides on what we should do. We decide we go back grab our stuff from the store but as we go there are riot police in full gear. We tell them the situation and they tell us it's not safe to be there and get away from the centre. Easier said than done. So we walk together as a group we find out that Broad Street is clear, we walk that way. There is this strange aura in the air, don't know where to go where to look it's just pure panic.
We carry on walking to broad street but you see groups of looter's, civilians we don't know who to trust. We ask a police man where to go they say get away from the centre and that the groups are not in one particular area it is fluid.
An act of madness can affect so much. We get to broad street we go to a bar just to figure out what to do then we hear gangs are heading our way so we leave again figuring what to do walking out of Birmingham centre. Finally get to a point where we can get picked up whilst waiting noticing that the police have stopped anyone coming into the city centre.
The night the riots broke out in Birmingham 8/8/2011. Just want to say to the guys I was with no one panicked and remained cool. So to the people Andy B, Ryan, Andy D, Lammy, Rhea, Jitu, Brad, Lynton. Its an experience only us guys will have and hope no one else has to go through it.
here is the footage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3-KeJYDOA8&feature=share
So check out the video and why are people doing it?
Your thoughts and posts
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)