Quote: Peter Brouhaha @ August 9 2011, 3:46 PM BSTThe rioters have got tear gas?
Just the word on the virtual street. Hopefully not true, won't be too surprising if the rioters up their game, they must be loving the extra challenge. Camden and Crouch End also expected to get trouble, so anyone in between there be cautious of violence moving through areas
Quote: AJGO @ August 9 2011, 3:42 PM BSTNews from social networking sites that rioters are heading to Hackney with tear gas
I think only the Army and some police are licensed to use it. Maybe they could use it under police supervision. 
"No, sorry lads, I'm afraid there's no way to achieve this effect with makeup. We're going to have to do this the old fashioned way."
Are you on ground floor or high up, Ajgo?
Quote: AJGO @ August 9 2011, 3:53 PM BSTJust the word on the virtual street. Hopefully not true, won't be too surprising if the rioters up their game, they must be loving the extra challenge. Camden and Crouch End also expected to get trouble, so anyone in between there be cautious of violence moving through areas
Where are you getting your info? I tried subscribing to #londonriots but there's about a bazillion messages per second. Far too many to read as they whizz past.
Considering the Guardian reported yesterday that rioters in Hackney had somehow managed to get hold of a policewoman and trussed her up before she was found, not over-encouraged about what'll be going down tonight
Quote: AJGO @ August 9 2011, 3:53 PM BSTJust the word on the virtual street. Hopefully not true, won't be too surprising if the rioters up their game, they must be loving the extra challenge. Camden and Crouch End also expected to get trouble, so anyone in between there be cautious of violence moving through areas
What an effing mess. As I said earlier, they (the so-called 'authorities') have to get a grip on it tonight - whatever it takes.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ August 9 2011, 3:56 PM BSTAre you on ground floor or high up, Ajgo?
Quite high up. The view kind of makes up for living on scary estate!
Apparently its linked to Grand Theft Auto, according to the Evening Standard (and the Daily Mail unsurprisingly covered the story). I'm not sure how a 14 year old franchise causes riots now, but there you go.
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ August 9 2011, 3:57 PM BSTWhere are you getting your info? I tried subscribing to #londonriots but there's about a bazillion messages per second. Far too many to read as they whizz past.
guardian website has live feed and some realtime comments, monitter.com has tweets that you can pause as they come up once putting your tag term in, and friends and family about London and Hackney all reporting back. Stabbing, boarded up shops, angry people, helicopters and fires reports of last night all mine!
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ August 9 2011, 3:23 PM BSTYes we have, The Army have quite a few. They're not all mobile APC types like you see in Israel. You just attach a cannon to a hydrant or wash out, and use it from street level. Only The Army are licenced to use them, I think that's where the 'we haven't got any' line's coming from. We've got them but I don't think Cameron wants to use the Army as it looks a bit bad on the telly.
OK - maybe I'm wrong.
But we can't really have the army firing on our own people. How could we critise Gadaffi?
And anyway - I never did like or trust the Kaiser Chiefs.
The view could be good tonight! Free fireworks. 
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ August 9 2011, 4:03 PM BSTThe view could be good tonight! Free fireworks.
Bit too close for comfort- don't really want to admire molotov cocktails in my living room!
Amnesty, bless 'em, urging police and community not to respond disproportionately. Presumably they'll be sending round representatives to protect everyone's place and effectively reason with those knifing people and burning homes
Quote: Chappers @ August 9 2011, 4:02 PM BSTBut we can't really have the army firing on our own people. How could we critise Gadaffi?
Yes exactly.
Thing about lack of resources is that people are openly tweeting that they have weapons and molotov cocktails (spoke too soon in my earlier post!) and headng to Hackney, but who is there available to see and track them before they get there and weigh in?