Borneo Four: Bersih worst case scenario

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You think you've been mistreated and you want to demonstrate? Go ahead but be prepared to pay the price. Most importantly don't make our lives miserable in the process. You want justice, so you go to the streets to demand justice? When hell broke loose like what happened below what justice we're talking about now, and justice for who -- you or us the silent majority? You've got the attention but we lost our buildings. Fuck you!

BERSIH'S WORST CASE SCENARIO
Sarawak Red Rally had better think twice!
http://knightadventure.blogspot.com/2011/08/bersih-worst-case-scenario.html
By The Four Horsemen

The Bersih 2.0's fans and hardcore supporters, in particular those who have great faith in street demonstration being politically and morally correct means to get attention and demand change from the elected government; especially those who seem to have this flawed intelligence to insist "if people in United Kingdom can do street rally why can't we'... very well, here is your UK answer. Read below what happened, and is happening in England for days now. It all started from a so-called peaceful assembly in the streets! Peaceful, yeah! When we're talking about letting loose all sorts of animals in the streets what in goat's name is peace?!!!

Also, don't forget to check on reports by Sarah J. Brooke.
She was there during the England riots.

Have we not told Bersih crusaders to what hostile extents can a peaceful street demonstration turn into in the blink of an eye? Oh, yes, we have written at length about this subject. I guess all our points now hit home. You, Ambiga Sreevenasan, had better take note! You, Francis Siah, stand down!

We cannot say the ever resourceful BN Government -- in an effort to make Malaysia's recent trouble appear less troublesome comparatively --, had paid millions of Euros to contractors in London to start a bigger riot of their own on one hand and the police to play dead on the other hand, can we? Can we hear someone saying Taib Mahmud must have had his hand in the England riots, too, deliberately so the Sarawak Red Rally scheduled on August 13 would appear a scary prospect? Stupid may that sound but such assumption is not entirely unthinkable, isn't it, considering you guys can believe the BN are capable of any malice; including bribing White House. Oh yes, once a bitch always a bitch nothing can a good government do to please you bitches.

The Four Horsemen are saying, after witnessing what happened in England the Sarawak authority will not take chance on MoCS Walk For Anti-Taib Democracy. They will stop the Red Rally from gaining momentum, if they haven't already. As nightmare inches toward its realization August 13, they would rough up some people, imprison some people or do anything to some people to stop the Bersih-Sarawak-version from taking place in the heartland of the Ibans ever the boisterous short-tempered crowd.

Mark our words the Sarawak authority will do that, must do that... for fear Kuching City would be razed to the ground by some unruly crowd. Considering what have transpired during England's street violence, we can forgive the Sarawak Police if they shoot dead two someone, or three someone, or even the whole platoons of Anwar-bred troublemakers. This time use live bullets or real canons please. We don't need anymore people who preach democracy only to make way for anarchy.

Bersih everybody, repent.

Or are you only looking for an excuse to riot against the system and rob shops?

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Rioters having field day in London

(In the news)
(Reconstructed for blog convenience)

LONDON (AP) — Violence in London first broke out late Saturday in the low-income, multiethnic northern district of Tottenham, where protesters demonstrated against the fatal police shooting of Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old father of four who was gunned down in disputed circumstances Thursday.

A brief inquest hearing into Duggan's death was being held Tuesday, though it will likely be several months before a full hearing.

Duggan's death stirred old animosities and racial tensions similar to those that prompted massive U.K. race riots in the 1980s, despite efforts by London police to build better relations with the city's ethnic communities.

Police said Duggan was shot dead last week when police from Operation Trident — the unit that investigates gun crime in the black community — stopped a cab he was riding in. The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is investigating the shooting, said a "non-police firearm" was recovered at the scene. But the Guardian newspaper reported that a bullet in the officer's radio was police-issue, indicating Duggan may not have fired at the officer.

Duggan's partner, Semone Wilson, insisted that her fiance was not connected to gang violence and urged police to offer more information about his death. But she rejected suggestions that the riots were linked to protests over his death.

"It got out of hand. It's not connected to this anymore. This is out of control," she said.

The past year has seen mass protests against the tripling of student tuition fees and cuts to public sector pensions. In November, December and March, small groups broke away from large marches in London to loot. In the most notorious episode, rioters attacked a Rolls-Royce carrying Prince Charles and his wife Camilla to a charity concert.

However, the full impact of spending cuts has yet to be felt and the unemployment rate is stable — although it remains highest among youth, especially in areas like Tottenham, Hackney and Croydon.

Some residents insisted joblessness was not to blame. "It's just an excuse for the young ones to come and rob shops," said Brixton resident Marilyn Moseley, 49.

But, as the latest unrest spread, some pointed to rising social tensions in Britain as the government slashes 80 billion pounds ($130 billion) from public spending by 2015 to reduce the huge deficit, swollen after the country spent billions bailing out its foundering banks.

Sony Corp. said a major blaze had broken out at its distribution center near Enfield, north London, damaging DVDs and other products. So many fires were being fought in the capital that Thames Water warned that some customers could face water pressure drops. In the Clapham Junction area of south London, a mob stole masks from a party store to disguise their identities and then set the building on fire.

Dozens of people attacked shops in Birmingham's main retail district, and clashed with police in Liverpool and Bristol.

"This is the uprising of the working class. We're redistributing the wealth," said Bryn Phillips, a 28-year-old self-described anarchist, as young people emerged from a store with chocolate bars and ice cream cones. Youths used text messages, instant messaging on BlackBerry phones and social media platforms such as Twitter to coordinate attacks and stay ahead of the police.

About 100 young people clashed with police in the Camden and Chalk Farm areas of north London on Monday night. In the Peckham district of south London, where a building was set ablaze along with a bus — which was not carrying passengers — onlookers said the scene resembled a conflict zone. Cars were torched in nearby Lewisham, and in west London's Ealing suburb the windows of each store along entire streets had been smashed.

Rioters were left virtually unchallenged in several neighborhoods and able to plunder from stores at will or attempt to invade homes. Restaurants and stores closed early across London again Tuesday, fearing more looting.

Disorder flared throughout the night, from gritty suburbs along the capital's fringes to central London's posh Notting Hill neighborhood.

Matthew Yeoland, a 43-year-old teacher watching the unrest in Peckham. "It's like a war zone and the police weren't doing anything."

"The violence we have seen is simply inexcusable. Ordinary people have had their lives turned upside down by this mindless thuggery," police commander Christine Jones said. London's police said 14 people were injured.

About 44 police officers have been injured in the violence.

British Prime Minister David Cameron recalled Parliament from its summer recess Tuesday and nearly tripled the number of police on the streets after three days of rioting in London blossomed into a full-blown political crisis.

Cameron described the scenes of burning buildings and smashed windows in London and several other British cities as "sickening," but refrained from more extreme measures such as calling in the military to help beleaguered police restore order.

Instead, he said 16,000 officers would be on the streets of the capital Tuesday night, almost tripling the number that were out Monday night.

"People should be in no doubt that we will do everything necessary to restore order to Britain's streets and to make them safe for the law-abiding," Cameron told reporters after rushing home from an Italian vacation to chair a crisis meeting at his Downing Street office.

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David Stringer, Raphael Satter, Sheila Norman-Culp, Meera Selva and Stephen Wilson contributed to this report.

More news here www.dailymail.co.uk

All photos and captions from www.seattlepi.com

A burned bus is seen in Tottenham, north London, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011 after a demonstration against the death of a local man turned violent and cars and shops were set ablaze. One police officer was hospitalized and seven others were injured during riots after a north London suburb exploded in anger Saturday night following a gathering to protest the Thursday shooting by police of the 29-year-old. Photo: Akira Suemori / AP

A police officer stands guard as burned police cars are seen in Tottenham, north London, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011 after a demonstration against the death of a local man turned violent and cars and shops were set ablaze. One police officer was hospitalized and seven others were injured during riots after a north London suburb exploded in anger Saturday night following a gathering to protest the Thursday shooting by police of the 29-year-old. Photo: Akira Suemori / AP

A police officer walks past a Jobcentre Plus, where windows have been smashed, in Tottenham, north London, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011 after a demonstration against the death of a local man turned violent and cars and shops were set ablaze. One police officer was hospitalized and seven others were injured during riots after a north London suburb exploded in anger Saturday night following a gathering to protest the Thursday shooting by police of the 29-year-old. Photo: Akira Suemori / AP

Youths throw bricks at police Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011 during unrest in Enfield, North London. New unrest erupted on north London's streets late Sunday, a day after rioting and looting in a deprived area amid community anger over a fatal police shooting. (AP Phto/Karel Prinsloo) Photo: AP / AP

Police cordon off an area Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011 during unrest in Enfield, North London. New unrest erupted on north London's streets late Sunday, a day after rioting and looting in a deprived area amid community anger over a fatal police shooting. (AP Phto/Karel Prinsloo) Photo: AP / AP

Local inhabitants view the shell of a burnt-out car in Enfield, north London, Monday, Aug. 8, 2011. New unrest erupted in various locations in London late Sunday, one day after rioting and looting took place in a deprived area prompted by community anger over a disputed fatal police shooting. Photo: Akira Suemori / AP

People try to kick in the window of a jeweller's shop near the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham, central England, as violence spread outside London Monday, Aug. 8, 2011. Violence and looting spread across some of London's most impoverished neighborhoods on Monday, with youths setting fire to shops and vehicles, during a third day of rioting in the city that will host next summer's Olympic Games. UNITED KINGDOM OUT, , NO ARCHIVE Photo: David Jones / PA

People loot a shop in Hackney, east London, Monday, Aug. 8, 2011. Violence and looting spread across some of London's most impoverished neighborhoods on Monday, with youths setting fire to shops and vehicles, during a third day of rioting in the city that will host next summer's Olympic Games. UNITED KINGDOM OUT, , NO ARCHIVE Photo: Lewis Whyld / PA

A firefighter walks near the burnt out shell of Reeves Furniture store in Croydon, south London following a third night of unrest on the streets of London Tuesday Aug. 9, 2011. A wave of violence and looting raged across London and spread to three other major British cities on Tuesday, as authorities struggled to contain the country's worst unrest since race riots set the capital ablaze in the 1980s. UNITED KINGDOM OUT Photo: Gareth Fuller / PA

A toy left by a protester is backdropped by a burning car and garbage bins set on fire by rioters in Hackney, east London, Monday Aug. 8, 2011. A chaotic wave of violence and looting raged across London and spread to three other major British cities on Tuesday, as authorities struggled to contain the country's worst unrest since race riots set the capital ablaze in the 1980s. Photo: Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

Firefighters spray water onto building set on fire by rioters last night in Croydon, south London, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2011. A wave of violence and looting raged across London and spread to three other major British cities Tuesday, as authorities struggled to contain the country's worst unrest since race riots set the capital ablaze in the 1980s. Photo: Sang Tan / AP

Victim: Mark Duggan, shot by police in Ferry Lane, Tottenham

* * *

ROCKY: I wrote this on Twitter and some pro-Bersih 2.0 people started becoming very defensive and a little violent. I don't know why these people think that it's all about them all the time. It is not.

People march in protest every day lah beb. In some places on Earth, people march because they are hungry and they don't have jobs. Or because they want greater freedom. Gays want to marry gays and they happily march for their cause. Workers march to back demands for better pay and longer holidays. Men march to bring down their leaders and install new ones.

In some of these countries, the demonstrators are shot dead and beaten up. There are cases where the police were hacked to death. Even in the US, they were once killing bell-bottomed students who wore flowers in their hair. Mind you, that wasn't that long ago.

In England, where democracy reigns and racism's dead, or so some of us like to believe, there have been so many cases of assemblies that started peacefully and ended not-so-peacefully. Watch the BBC clip on the fees protest by students in Nov 2010 for a recent example. And what's raging in Tottenham right now had happened before in Brixton, 1981. Read Different ideals, similar lessons, The Guardian, Aug 9. Don't even start on countries like Malawi, Egypt and even neighboring Indonesia and Thailand where scores have killed and died in the name of peaceful demonstrations and riots

From the riots in Tottenham to the peaceful Bersih in KL, the police came under close scrutiny. Did Police get their tactics right?

IBAN 1: Wow, Rocky - your comments defy logic! I would have thot that the protestors in Tottenham have more in common with Hindraf than Bersih 2.0. Note that in the UK, hard questions are being asked about their police's relationship with minority communities. Are the same questions being asked of the Malaysian police and their relationship with minorities here?

BOND: Yes. Kugan, remember?

IBAN 2: Watch the commentaries on the BBC World and Sky News channels and see for yourself. And, btw, the UK tv channels do a damned better job of impartial reporting, commentary and analysis than the blatantly skewed coverage of the Hindraf and Bersih protests and demos by the Malaysian TV channels and mainstream media. But you wouldn't highlight that, would you?

ROCKY: Thank you for bringing Hindraf in. In 2007, there were two big assemblies: Bersih and Hindraf. One was peaceful and the other was more violent. Both claimed to be non-partisan when in fact there were tools of the Opposition or were made used by the Opposition to put pressure on the Abdullah regime. The forces behind Bersih were the same people behind Hindraf.

As for the UK tv channels doing a better job, that's totally irrelevant in times like these. Question is, did their police do a better job than ours?

IBAN 3: Rocky, there is nothing peaceful about Tottenham, people are mad because of the incident of shooting by a policemen. This turn to riot. If you look at the level of journalism, yours and them, totally at different level. Yours are third-world level journalism, blunt and obvious one-sided while BBC reporting news professionally.

IBAN 4: Rocky, that means we must always listen and obey like a servant what the gomen ditch and forced on us? In this era they still want to lord over us as slaves! Thank God we malaysians are more civilised than the pdrm...Rocky, you see people can feel and see injustices and no mater what people are getting serious this days. Not like the good old days where the gomen threw peanuts and people were monkees dancing for joy?

IBAN 5: Rocky, I guess u and many pro-Bn supporters failed to see this. Bersih is not about anyone. Bersih is about the people. Regardless of whether it has been hijacked or not, wat is most important is wat the participants stand for. We r not anyone's piss drinker. Now this is very important. And we gather in peace. That's a fact.

On whether the UK or Malaysian policemen did a better job in such situation, I think we hv to look at the evidence, i.e. video clips and judge for ourselves ;) However, it is also very important to note that the police will only retaliate when "forced/threatened". So, hv a nice day looking at YouTube videos.

IBAN 6: You're an idiot rocky... what happens in uk is total opposite to bersih rally...this is a spontaneous expression of hatred and anger. Bersih is...well, if you're not a retard you know what the difference is...

IBAN 7: The London riots started from police shooting of a black Britisher amid perceptions of police brutality and unfair racist treatment. The riots were short lived after which came copy cat looting which spread across East London. In response the police DID NOT pull out tear gas launchers and pepper-laced water cannons.

Bersih, right from the start, was about the unfair practices of our Elections Commission, about which damning information is now spewing out daily. It was always about a peaceful march! ALL, I repeat, ALL the provocation came from PM Najib who lied to us, his cousin and Home Minister Kerismudin who allowed police to unconstitutionally arrest hundreds for wearing yellow t-shirts and lying about Communist threats and "waging war against the King."

On the actual day, the response of the police in firing tear gas and loosening water cannons were totally unwarranted and criminal. If you don't believe people like me who were eyewitnesses to the sad saga, then do you think Marina Mahathir was lying?

No, our PDRM have a lot to learn from their London counterparts about restraint and firm legal action.

JULAIHI: Engkorang ni masih tak faham-faham lagi apa isu utama kita di sini ye. Kita bukan nak tahu Bersih tu peaceful ker tak peaceful. Kita nak bagitahu kepada korang semua jangan suka-suka nak buat perarakan di jalanraya. Lagi baik jangan buat. Kerana tidak semua orang yang terlibat dalam perarakan jalanraya itu adalah berjiwa bersih dan ikhlas pada perjuangan asal perarakan itu. Dalam kes huru-hara di London ianya bermula dari 200 orang protesters yang mahu mendapatkan jawapan, secara aman, daripada pihak polis berkenaan kematian Mark Duggan. Kejadian kucar kacir meledak jadi rusuhan selepas lebih ramai orang masuk scene. Dalam ertikata lain, mereka yang ramai-ramai ini telah 'hijack' cerita asal protes tersebut dan menjadikannya cerita baru. Dalam cerita baru ini, orang tak kesah dah apa cerita 200 protesters yang mula-mula tadi.

Itu isu utama kita. Itu yang kita risaukan tentang Bersih Rally. 10,000 peserta Bersih mungkin berani bersumpah mereka tak datang buat kacau. Tapi 90,000 peserta-peserta lain boleh kah bersumpah sama? Mereka yang 90,000 ini mungkin tak kesah pun apa cerita Bersih tapi saja nak datang, suka-suka, glamer masuk TV, ada peluang memekik-mekik di jalanraya macam anjing tersangkut selepas mengawan. Kot-kot boleh memecah masuk ke dalam restoran dapat makan ayam KFC free.

BOND: There's a difference, however, between Malaya Bersih and this London riot. The London riot grew from a peaceful demo to a riot real fast. Bersih on the other hand had made so much hoohaa two months prior to their July 9 march, you know, to flame up more supporters. But I agree with pakcik here, its not like half of them really knows what the Bersih Eight Demands were all about or would really put up much thought about it in the first place. I doubt the bulk majority of the Bersih supporters have ever done enough research on election procedures to find any loopholes or flaws in it. For all we know they rolled with the Bersih caravan blindly for the fun of rolling in the streets. Threats in the Bersih Rally do not come from the Police; threats are Bersih themselves.

DEVIL: Not only that, Bond. Threats also come from Perkasa Malays. These Bersih folks still didn't get it, did they? Of course they can say they're not here to make trouble but it's not them we're worried of. So they took to the streets like a herd of pigs oblivious to presence of wolves watching from the sideline. They cannot say the Malay wolves were not there that day. The wolves were there. The wolves were in sheep clothing. But the police were there, too. The police were there to protect the Bersih pigs!

KAYAN 1: UK media criticizing Malaysian Police for "mishandling" the Bersih 2.0 rally. Apparently, the UK media found out the hard way that their police force instead was sleeping while London was burning. It is ironic that during these violent demonstrations, Ambiga was in London to talk about Bersih 2.0.

KENYAH 1: Thank you PDRM. It seems that Malaysia and our police are much better in dealing with protesters. This should be a lesson to the brits on human rights. There are no absolute freedom!

KELABIT 1: If not for the police, Bersih may turn up to be violent. See how tempers flared. See how Tian Chua was fighting the police. Even on BBC it was shown the screams of Reformasi. London riots are mobs and anarchy as the British Press dubbed it. The police came too little too late. Only later did they used heavy armored vehicles.

Is that upholding democracy -- the right to riot -- when people are looted, hurt and buildings were razed. So many Londoners interviewed on CNN and BBC were asking why weren't the police around when it is their duty to protect the public. And David Cameron had to cut short his visit to Italy and call for emergency meeting.

Remember how you all criticized Najib for going to Europe immediately after Bersih. Of course la no criticisms from you all for Mat Salleh Cameron. Cameron has a lot to learn from Najib on this. Once again I record my appreciation to the PDRM and the army for restraint during that illegal demo. Kudos guys.

MURUT 1: These Bersih hooligans must read this. Especially ambiga. Next time they go to the streets PDRM should show no mercy, just like the police in London.

BIDAYUH 1: Prevention is better than cure. In the Bersih riot, it is crystal clear that the PR leaders are behind it, to push a battered problem stricken individual to run for office. Once that individual holds power, his cronies in crime will blackmail or hold him to ransom and demand an arm and a leg for their role in the plot. But, their stupid followers are still too stupid to see it.

Full score to the PDRM for their swift action, although they were a little too soft on the hooligans. PDRM should learn a lesson or two from the colonial masters. Use the baton and whack them without mercy, fear or favour. The Police are paid by taxpayers to prevent riots.