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A year since the riots, what's changed?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
On Monday 6th August it will have been a whole year since the summer riots that affected London, Manchester and Birmingham.

How do you feel about the riots one year on?

Our media team here at YouthNet are doing some work around this and would like to ask you guys if you feel that anything has changed in the last year?

Is it easier to share your thoughts and ideas about the issues that affect you on a political level?

Have you noticed any local opportunities for young people to get more involved and have their say?

We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences :thumb:

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't think anythings changed, the same issues are still present. I'm still convinced however that for a lot of people the rioting in London was the excuse they needed to go out and cause trouble. People don't loot sports stores and set fire to buildings with people still in them in order to highlight their social and economic deprivation in an attempt to secure long term change. They do it because they're dick heads.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I found this programme on channel 4 it's fairly new it's about an hour long but it completely sums up how people feel in this country about teens:

    http://www.channel4.com/programmes/teen-trouble/4od
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I have not noticed much change, but what I have had highlighted to me is the depravity and lowness that some people can sink to in order to harm others, showing that since conditions are nowhere near as bad in the UK, it cant really be used as a sole excuse as to why things happened. Some but not all of it is down to people being utter dickheads in my opinion. I cant believe t has been nearly a year since i was in thesite offices for that week. Time flies indeed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm unsure what is supposed to 'change' exactly. I'm not condoning the riots at all or the actions of anyone but after reading about it and watching several documenaties I believe that the majority of young people who took part got swept up by the sheer magnitude of it rather than doing it out of malice.

    I don't think we're any closer to understanding the cause of why the riots happened but then I don't believe there is one sole cause. A few articles I read pointed out the materialistic value of the things being taken.. widescreen tvs, trainers and I can imagine the people taking them thinking of it as a 'victimless crime'.

    Found the attitudes of some of the tabloids to it pretty bizaare though. The whole 'naming and shaming' parade with particular attention being given to kids and teens from deprived backgrounds and labelling them 'the asbo generation'.

    I do think an element of class hatred came out, still remember Ken Clarke blaming 'the feral underclass'. I still think that attitude continues.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Natashaaa wrote: »
    I found this programme on channel 4 it's fairly new it's about an hour long but it completely sums up how people feel in this country about teens:

    http://www.channel4.com/programmes/teen-trouble/4od

    Piccolo! <3 About 37 mins in
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Piccolo! <3 About 37 mins in

    Is that still around?! Curse you, 4od.

    (I was in 3rd year at uni and volunteering for the Respect? campaign at the time, so it's about 5-6 years old!)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    which one are you....??
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm Kate. Not in it much because I was a little too old at the time!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    piccolo wrote: »
    I'm Kate. Not in it much because I was a little too old at the time!

    Yeah disappointed we only got one little soundbite from you! I was looking forward to seeing you in a hoodie the hood up :D

    In the programme I liked the guy from the UN coming in and bringing the teenagers of the estate and the adults together. Having representatives from both seemed to work pretty well
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah disappointed we only got one little soundbite from you! I was looking forward to seeing you in a hoodie the hood up :D

    I was there. Had some good conversations :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd imagine given the chance again people would still be "running down Foot Locker and t'ieving shoes".
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fiend_85 wrote: »

    Agree with a lot of that. I think it's a culmination of factors. It can't just be one.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The police certainly haven't changed. Fortunately, a lot of ours are in London at the moment...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Not much seems to have changed from what I can see.

    At the time of the riots I was at the world scout jamboree, with 40,000 young people from all over the world showing what's best about youth.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Nothing.

    Young people are still disenfranchised as ever.

    Wealthy are still withdrawing their money into their caves.

    Social support frameworks are progressively breaking down and having budgets cut.

    I suppose we got a lot more young people in prison and without a future, though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There's a show on BBC2 at the moment The Riots: In Their Own Words. Seems fairly accurate: a good tear-up, profits to be made and little fear of being caught.
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