# Repressive treatment of rioters **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 12, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressive-treatment-of-rioters/592492 "2011-08-12T19:17:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressive-treatment-of-rioters/592492/101 "2011-08-15T13:01:25Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No sympathy from me. > > Jail all the little bastards and send a message that the rest of we civilized, tax-paying, property-owning adults have had e-fucking-nough of this shit. > > I don’t think any formal charges have been laid in Vancouver yet, which is a shame. Quite. They are essentially going unpunished. 6 months means two months. Riotous Assembly and Conspiracy To… should be the minimum charges not pissant breaking and entering crap. With jail time stretching into the years ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressive-treatment-of-rioters/592492/102 "2011-08-15T13:34:22Z")
I saw on the news a few day ago where some parents saw their 18yo? daughter in some footage of the riot . They turned her ass in. I think they actually hauled her down to the police station themselves. She was going to be an olympic “ambassador” too IIRC. Not anymore probably. Bet that kid/young adult thinks twice before doing stupid shit again. ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressive-treatment-of-rioters/592492/103 "2011-08-15T17:20:02Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I saw on the news a few day ago where some parents saw their 18yo? daughter in some footage of the riot . They turned her ass in. I think they actually hauled her down to the police station themselves. She was going to be an olympic “ambassador” too IIRC. Not anymore probably. > > Bet that kid/young adult thinks twice before doing stupid shit again. There was a mob robbery of a local gas station here in Milwaukee about a month ago where they showed some of the surveilance camera footage on the news. The mother of one of the kids involved (I can’t remember if it was a boy or girl) turned them in. She went on the news saying she did it because that’s not the kind of child she raised. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressive-treatment-of-rioters/592492/104 "2011-08-16T06:03:08Z")
> [@justrob](#): > > There was a mob robbery of a local gas station here in Milwaukee about a month ago where they showed some of the surveilance camera footage on the news. The mother of one of the kids involved (I can’t remember if it was a boy or girl) turned them in. She went on the news saying she did it because **that’s not the kind of child she raised.** The London woman said the same thing. Empirical evidence argues differently. I’ve discovered a couple of rioters underpunished. [This](http://mobile.salon.com/politics/war_room/2011/08/10/david_cameron_riot_condemnation_bullingdon_club_irony/index.html) restaurant smashing thug and [this](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1193693/Id-drunk-I-irresponsible-Criminal-Nick-Clegg-regrets.html) drunken teenage arsonist, both unpunished by the police. Currently Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. Mindless smashy-grabby thugs. Sting 'em up! Too good for 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressive-treatment-of-rioters/592492/105 "2011-08-16T11:54:33Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > These riots have really brought out the right wing nutters. > > First we had the racists, but it turned out they weren’t all black so then it was those who bemoan people “sucking at the government teat”, then it turned out there were students and teachers and other people not below the poverty line, so it was just a general hatred of all. My experience of the reactions to the riots was pretty much the other way around. First people were suggesting that poverty, lack of jobs and a sense of dissatisfaction with the government were to blame for these riots. Then it was found that rioters included people with jobs, fourteen year olds and olympic ambassadors (well, one). One by one, we scratched the reasons off until we’re basically left with “opportunistic shitstains who want something for nothing”. I’m sure there were still a few people rioting who were genuinely frustrated with the way this country is being run and the lack of ways out for the lowest echelons of society. The fact that they thought that smashing up small businesses and setting blocks of flats on fire means that their honourable motives and touching back stories are overshadowed by the fact that they’re also cunts. It’s like if Britain’s Got Talent introduced a contestant as a wide-eyed inner-city kid doing it for his bedridden old nan as his angelic singing was the only thing that gave his family hope while the government shunted them from estate to estate… and his act was shitting in a bucket and flinging it at the audience. Yes, he’s a sad indictment of the modern world we live in - but he’s also flinging shit at your face. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressive-treatment-of-rioters/592492/106 "2011-08-16T13:55:01Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > [QUOTE=JoelUpchurch] > > The short version is we are dealing with a lot of barbarians that like to smash things and steal stuff. We are. And then there’s the rioters, too. [/QUOTE] Are you implying that the rioters are not smashers and looters? Or was a attempt on your part to be witty? ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressive-treatment-of-rioters/592492/107 "2011-08-16T14:37:04Z")
I think it’s the, “Aha! Rich people use dodgy methods to stay rich and The Bullingdon Club smash up restaurants, therefore they’re the same!” approach. Basically trying to suggest that if we’re pissed off with looters, we should be pissed off with rich folk. Luckily, most people have enough capacity in their hearts to hate both sides for different reasons. We also can restrain ourselves enough not to smash open a Dixons and nick a telly. ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressive-treatment-of-rioters/592492/108 "2011-08-16T14:39:55Z")
> [@Double\_Foolscap](#): > > My experience of the reactions to the riots was pretty much the other way around. First people were suggesting that poverty, lack of jobs and a sense of dissatisfaction with the government were to blame for these riots. Then it was found that rioters included people with jobs, fourteen year olds and olympic ambassadors (well, one). One by one, we scratched the reasons off until we’re basically left with “opportunistic shitstains who want something for nothing”. > > I’m sure there were still a few people rioting who were genuinely frustrated with the way this country is being run and the lack of ways out for the lowest echelons of society. The fact that they thought that smashing up small businesses and setting blocks of flats on fire means that their honourable motives and touching back stories are overshadowed by the fact that they’re also cunts. > > It’s like if Britain’s Got Talent introduced a contestant as a wide-eyed inner-city kid doing it for his bedridden old nan as his angelic singing was the only thing that gave his family hope while the government shunted them from estate to estate… and his act was shitting in a bucket and flinging it at the audience. Yes, he’s a sad indictment of the modern world we live in - but he’s also flinging shit at your face. Brilliantly put. Give that man a cigar and a steak dinner! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repressive-treatment-of-rioters/592492.md?page=5)