Police are expecting even more anarchy tonight on the streets of London, following on from Saturday’s Tottenham riot which originally began as a peaceful protest. Tweets are pouring in by the hundreds, reporting numerous scenes of vandalism and police activity, a brutal confrontation expected to ensue as the night progresses.
It has also been reported that Birmingham is now under siege, and like the Tottenham riot, the attacks are said to be in retaliation against police for the death of Mark Duggan on Thursday, August 4th. The 29 year-old was shot dead by a specialist gun crime unit after brief “firefight” in which he was said to have brandished a weapon, though the investigation is still under way.
It’s suspected that most of the rioters are simply opportunists, a number of storefronts having been looted during the raids. One constable commented that the increasing presence of violent video game is a main factor in encouraging youths to participate in such criminal activities:
These are bad people who did this. Kids out of control. When I was young it was all Pac-man and board games. Now they’re playing Grand Theft Auto and want to live it for themselves.
Sure, video games are now much more engaging and from time to time they will include content which is deemed corrosive by the daily tabloids, though as we have touched upon, anyone with a modicum of moral fibre knows better than to emulate what they see on-screen, the blame being firmly placed upon the individual instead.
Tuffcub
The only people to blame are shitty parents.
Nylon_Crash
I agree, I haven’t got any kids, but I have brothers and if I heard that they were going to get involved in all of this. I would go up one side of them and the next. Then they would have to deal with mum, and that’s enough to strike the fear into anyone.
I am very lucky to have parents who have cared for me and taught me what’s right and wrong. Some people do not deserve to have kid.
The Lone Steven
I blame sheep for this. They have been gathering together in large groups for decades.
I am outraged that someone would dare to blame video games for the riots. It’s the scum that is rioting and burning down the homes of the innocent people who have nothing to do with the riots. Some looters stole from the injured which makes me want to kill the fuckers and weep at the same time.(sorry for the swear but it’s making me feel sick) I hope the TSAers who live in the affected cities are alright and safe.
hazelam
sheep?
as if, it’s the bunnies.
http://kindertrauma.com/images/misc/anya.jpg
simplebob
If modern society was truly led by GTA then as soon as there was trouble there would have been a horde of police giving chase to the looters, setting up road blocks and calling in special forces. Maybe theres a lesson to be learned about police resources and response times….
online4ntagonist
There’s still something as moral, that has not dissapeared with the appearance of video games has it?
Nylon_Crash
i play games like GTA, god of war, burnout, world of Warcraft etc and I do not find the need to be an idiot and destroy peoples homes and businesses.
Its human nature, maybe they should look back at the history of the world when there wasn’t video games or film and it was far more violent..
amiga_dude
So that last GTA to be released was GTA4. In Europe/UK GTA4 was relased on 3 December 2008. The roits (or some cops call them civil disorder) started 6 August 2011.
So that 976 days without riot becasue of GTA. Or another way of looking at it 2 years, 8 months, 3 days.
So close to 1000 days as well. Back to drawing board then.
aerobes
Video-games are an unfortunate scapegoat for those with anarchistic tendencies already deeply rooted in their system but for an official to suggest it is ridiculous and worrying.
corneliusw
Anyone else see the grand theft auto v official webpage? I typed in http://gtav.com and a website pops up now for GTA V. They had on there that the game will be released in 2012, and set in Los Angeles. I really hope they don’t do LA for the game, I prefer something overseas so the game has a different feeling. Though if they did do LA it would be cool to have some rappers and cool actors in the game. Slap around a few of those bums!
Rocket_345
My brother text me and apparently the police are down my local tesco as theres rumours that thier rioting down there tonight. The barman in my hotel said there may be riots in blackpool as well. Video games have got abaolutely fuck all to do with this and people who say they are need to get their heads out of thier arses.
AJ
Honestly, I believe it’s just human nature. We are all primitive at heart. When it comes to something like this, it’s just primal actions due to government oppression. As opposed to 70 or 80 years ago, the government oppresses us at a young age while more and more responsibilities are laid on the shoulders of young people.
It’s not any video game’s fault. Riots are not new. They are a part of our history and life. They may be horrible, but you cant go blaming video games.
It’s sort of like we’ve all got a chained lion in us that we’re told to keep tame, instead of letting it be free, and once that lion’s free it just goes WILD.
Strange analogy, I know.