Friday 12 August 2011

Some thoughts on the UK riots

OK, this is nothing to do with migration and stuff but I wanna say something about the UK riots. I'm here in Athens. Everything I see, read or hear about the riots is second hand, so my perspective is partial.

I've just retured from a talk about the riots at a squat in Athens by Occupied London. We saw images and videos. We saw maps displaying where all the riots tok place and how they spread. Tottenham, Brixton, Croydon, Nottingham, Birmingham... poor neighbourhoods across the country. People venting anger on the streets, raging against the system (global capitalism propped up by states). Rage that comes from alienation. Alienation that comes from being treated as unneccesary to this sysem of ours.

And the general response from many sectors of the community is anger at the looters; at the disgraceful response. More distancing of 'us' from 'them'. As if we are not also alienated! In a system that values consumption like a religion; where having stuff is the equaivalent of being somebody. We are all alienated!

There is not a 'them' who loot and an 'us' who dont. We are all affected by the same system. Why are we also not angry? Cause we are not separate or disconnected from what has been unleashed by the last weeks acts. There is not an us and them. 




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