So one of our writers saw about twenty lads breaking into High and Mighty. They’d failed to get into Bang and Olufsson.
There was a big lad – the boss – of about thirty five years old sat laughing against a lamppost.
“Look lads, he’s taking pictures, sort the fucker.”
Our man was surrounded by fourteen lads.
“Give us your camera, you twat,” they said.
“I couldn’t believe that lads as good looking and slim as you were breaking into High and Mighty” our correspondent said.
Pause.
Laughter.
Just for once, humour wins on a night without it.
UPDATE: 21.50
People are dragging off fences from Albert Square for no discernible reason.
This is the Gordon Riots again – look it up.
There’s a PHD in anthropology in this for someone.
Wandering down Booth Street, trying to get home, with a laptop in my bag (@JonathSchofield) seven people came up to three of us.
“We’re going to have to fight this lot,” I thought and said.
But they changed their minds and turned away.
“Want some Pimms lads?” they said.
“Had loads already,” we joshed.
There was a girl at the back.
“Does she look like a thief?” the last lad in the group said.
“You don’t,” we said. “You really don’t.”
“I’m not,” she said almost sadly. “I want to go home I’m sick of all the trouble now.”
There’s a man running down Kennedy Street with two magnums of champagne. He just smashed one against the wall, wasted it.
21.35 Sky correspondent now says Manchester city centre is now more peaceful than it would normally be on a tuesday evening. The small groups of youths have moved on.
21.30 Photo of Millwall fans protecting Eltham Highstreet, you might hate them but tonight you’l love them. (see picture) #londonriotshttp://t.co/y4LyC10
21.17 lisalewis82#manchesterriots aren’t exactly riots are they? Round em up and send em to bed with no pudding.
21.15 Report from man in Piccadilly Manchester
It’s ‘genuinely scary’ outside Piccadilly.
Real massive malevolent undercurrent. The amusement place has been done over. The money from the arcade was thrown to the crowd.
Gone for the Tesco’s in Piccadilly. People taking fags coming out with crisps, pulling them open and chucking them on the floor.
There are probably about 300-400 troublemakers here in the city centre out of our population of around 2.5m in Greater Manchester. Out of population
But the city still seems to belong to these kids.
21.00 Redswish Got out of flat, jewellers below looted. Trapped by riot police in NQ trying to get home #manchesterriots
William SeldenIt’s in times like these we need a picture of a baby panda…
20.57 There has been a brief but worrying flashpoint in north Enfield – Hertford Road – London with apparent attempts at vigilantism, reports Paul Lewis.
It was only a minor skirmish, but a potentially bad sign for community relations. Police, who have flooded the streets, were quickly on the scene when about 70 men
started chasing local youths.
I wouldn’t mention their ethnicity, but it seemed to be relevant. The men were white – in their 30s and 40s – and shouting that they wanted to get the “blacks” and “pakis”. Lots of them seemed drunk. One man being held back by police shouted: “They’re rats, they mugged my Auntie the other night.”
Jay Bradley, 30, a witness, told me: “What happened here? What I just saw – everyone from this area aren’t gonna have any looting.
What I saw was a couple of ethnic lads, if you can call them that, black lads, and they chased them away.
A lot of it is alcohol – I don’t think the kids were doing anything. They were just on bikes and in masks.
But no-one around here is going to stand for any looting. What are we supposed to do. The Co-op is closed and we’re running out of food.”
I’m at a Sikh temple in Southall. 100s of men and youths standing guard protecting their community. Fearsome bunch. #riots#self-defence
20.36 Update: Groups of people have been climbing up scaffolding in Shude Hill area with hammers in their hands. #manchesterriots
20.33 jameskramone Feeling under siege, far too many gangs of kids outside my window. Seeing a lot of looted stuff being carried away. #manchesterriots
20.30 AccioEmmaWatson k e e l e y ? A woman has just had a brick thrown at her car and her baby who isn’t even a year old yet was in the car. Disgusting! #manchesterriots
20.22 Swarvoski store smashed up in Manchester
20.21 Waterstone’s employee on the news: “We’ll stay open, if they steal some books they might learn something” #manchesterriots
20.20 @wes078:Only in the UK could rioters in £100 trainers organising things on £300 smartphones claim to be in poverty… #manchesterriots
20.16 Lidl store on fire in Salford
UPDATE: 20.10
Police on Cross Street/King Street shouting: “Go home, go home, get out of the city.” And the kids just laughed.
Here are some more pics – including ones of girls taking the jeans from a mannequin in Diesel on Cross Street.
It’s all so bloody aimless and silly now there’s almost something to say.
20.06 Reports of rioting in birmingham and West Bromwich
20.05 baldydaddy The great unwashed masses all laughing & almost everyone of them filming disorder on their phones …truly pathetic humans#manchesterriots
19.53 Riots in Manchester City Centre
19.45 19.00 Planking during a riot… seriously. http://yfrog.com/kkjmhqaj #manchesterriots
UPDATE: 19.30
Quote: “So we’re going to do TK-Maxx first then?”
Fire vans every where.
At Ugg, older black man in his late twenties sent two young white lads aged fifteen, into the store, saw people filming him and got them out.
It’s a multi-racial riot this. Every colour and creed. Mostly white lads.
19.30 Riots in Salford Manchester
UPDATE: 19.19 Fire in Miss Selfridge on Market Street.
The kids are clearly finding this tremendous fun. They seem to have no care for the fact they are hurting themselves and their families and their futures.
They have dressed in their best uniforms for the ‘fun’.
Tesco in Market Street seems in trouble.
You can cut the atmosphere with a knife.
Reiss cleaned out.
19.15 GET AWAY FROM SELFRIDGES AND HARVEY NICHOLS IN MANCHESTER NOW!! #THUGS#ManchesterRiots
19.00 Jack_McMullen
Just been in Manchester City Centre and it’s about to properly kick off. You can feel it. Stay away at all costs. #ManchesterRiots
UPDATE 18.48: Sadly it seems the rumours are becoming reality.
A brief walk around the city centre revealed gangs of youths and men from age 12 up into their thirties congregating at key junctions.
It appeared they were waiting for a critical mass of their fellows to join them. On Exchange Street that critical mass was reached and a mob broke away and ran into St Ann’s Square.
They were pursued by police, a sergeant barking, “In line, keep the line.”
Round at the junction of St Ann’s Street and Deansgate the windows of Patisserie Valerie had been smashed.
The mob had headed down towards Spinningfields.
The worrying thing is that behind the police line scores of lads were gathering again.
They could be heard saying, “Have you got him on his BBM?”
There seemed about two girls for every twenty or so males.
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Riot Here Riot Now – UK riots – live commentary – Manchester riots
20.22 Swarvoski store smashed up in Manchester
20.21 Waterstone’s employee on the news: “We’ll stay open, if they steal some books they might learn something” #manchesterriots
20.20 @wes078:Only in the UK could rioters in £100 trainers organising things on £300 smartphones claim to be in poverty… #manchesterriots
20.16 Lidl store on fire in Salford
UPDATE: 20.10
Police on Cross Street/King Street shouting: “Go home, go home, get out of the city.” And the kids just laughed.
Here are some more pics – including ones of girls taking the jeans from a mannequin in Diesel on Cross Street.
It’s all so bloody aimless and silly now there’s almost something to say.
20.06 Reports of rioting in birmingham and West Bromwich
20.05 baldydaddy The great unwashed masses all laughing & almost everyone of them filming disorder on their phones …truly pathetic humans#manchesterriots
19.53 Riots in Manchester City Centre
19.45 19.00 Planking during a riot… seriously. http://yfrog.com/kkjmhqaj #manchesterriots
UPDATE: 19.30
Quote: “So we’re going to do TK-Maxx first then?”
Fire vans every where.
At Ugg, older black man in his late twenties sent two young white lads aged fifteen, into the store, saw people filming him and got them out.
It’s a multi-racial riot this. Every colour and creed. Mostly white lads.
19.30 Riots in Salford Manchester
UPDATE: 19.19 Fire in Miss Selfridge on Market Street.
The kids are clearly finding this tremendous fun. They seem to have no care for the fact they are hurting themselves and their families and their futures.
They have dressed in their best uniforms for the ‘fun’.
Tesco in Market Street seems in trouble.
You can cut the atmosphere with a knife.
Reiss cleaned out.
19.15 GET AWAY FROM SELFRIDGES AND HARVEY NICHOLS IN MANCHESTER NOW!! #THUGS #ManchesterRiots
19.00 Jack_McMullen
Just been in Manchester City Centre and it’s about to properly kick off. You can feel it. Stay away at all costs. #ManchesterRiots
UPDATE 18.48: Sadly it seems the rumours are becoming reality.
A brief walk around the city centre revealed gangs of youths and men from age 12 up into their thirties congregating at key junctions.
It appeared they were waiting for a critical mass of their fellows to join them. On Exchange Street that critical mass was reached and a mob broke away and ran into St Ann’s Square.
They were pursued by police, a sergeant barking, “In line, keep the line.”
Round at the junction of St Ann’s Street and Deansgate the windows of Patisserie Valerie had been smashed.
The mob had headed down towards Spinningfields.
The worrying thing is that behind the police line scores of lads were gathering again.
They could be heard saying, “Have you got him on his BBM?”
There seemed about two girls for every twenty or so males.
It looks like it’s going to be a long night.