Ode to Rioting

Ode to Rioting

The riotz are goin on from Brum to London
tell you what I don’t want to sit back
cause I wanna join them

Start a riot in glasgow
Who’s Up For It?
Let’s start a riot in Hastings.
Who’s on it?
Riot in Northampton
Who’s up for shopping?

Riot in Latchford
Smash Down Northwich Town
Kill some fucking daftys
Riot in the toon

Letz start a riot
If anyone has guns
Bring the Riots to Cardiff’
Show the English how it’s done

down for Brum tomorrow?
if you see a brother… SALUT!
Who says no to free stuff
if you see a fed… SHOOT

Everyone from all sides
Dead the ends and colour war
London getting fucked up
Riot better, riot more

If it turns out Duggan wasn’t armed and didn’t shoot I think I’ll riot myself!! – Posted by a serving police officer on his blog Inspector Gadget

Disclaimer: LMFAO*

_______________________________________________

Jordan Blackshaw, 20, and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22 were both jailed for four years each for making facebook pages calling for riots in Northwich Town and Warrington.   No riots took place in either town. Both claim the comments were a joke.   Sutcliffe-Keenan reportedly created his page while drunk and deleted it the next morning.

A jury decided unemployed Nathan Sinden, 27, was joking when he wrote comments on facebook including: ‘Let’s start a riot in Hastings. Who’s on it?’ and ‘Who’s up for shopping?’.   Sinden pleaded not guilty and was released having spent over a month in custody on remand.

16-year-old Johnny Melfah was sentenced to 80 hours unpaid work and given a one year rehabilitation order for commenting on the facebook ‘anybody wanna riot in Droitwich and Worcester?’ ‘anyone down for Brum tomorrow, free ipads available 😉 , ‘Get to town in the morning RAWR, London getting f**ked up. News!”.   Melfah did not take part in any rioting.

Jamie Counsel, 25, set up a page called ‘Bring the Riots to Cardiff’, later changed to ‘Bring the Riots to Swansea’. He was jailed for four years. Counsel has suffered from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and was being referred for treatment of mental health difficulties. No-one turned up for the riot which Counsel claims was a joke.

Shawn Divin, 16, and Jordan McGinley, 18, both from Dundee, were administrators of a Facebook page called ‘Riot in the toon’ which urged people to “Only join if yir actually gonna come – if anyone has guns bring them down to this – kill some daftys.”   They were jailed for three years each.   No-one turned up for the Dundee riot including the defendants.

22 year old Danny Cook was jailed for two and a half years for setting up a facebook page called ‘Letz start a riot’ and making the comment including: “The riotz are goin on from Brum to London tell you what I don’t want to sit back cause I wanna join them”

Alexander McQuarrie, 16, from Ibrox, in Glasgow, was remanded in custody over claims he attempted to incite others to riot by setting up a Facebook group entitled ‘Let’s start a riot in Glasgow’.

A message sent over Blackberry Messenger during the riots read: “Everyone from all sides of London meet up at the heart of London (central) OXFORD CIRCUS!!, Bare SHOPS are gonna get smashed up so come get some (free stuff!!!) fuck the feds we will send them back with OUR riot! >:O Dead the ends and colour war for now so if you see a brother… SALUT! if you see a fed… SHOOT!”   The individual who posted the message has not been identified. Presumably this message was not intended as a joke.

A 15 year old was given a year’s Youth Rehabilitation Order and a ten week curfew for ‘suggesting’ to his friends that a riot should start in Wakefield. 19 year old Hollie Bentley, who is pregnant with a first child, was freed after previously being remanded in custody for posting a message with the title ‘Wakey Riot’, followed by the words ‘Who’s Up For It?’.   *The jury heard that the message also contained the letters LMFAO – which stands for Laughing My Fucking Arse Off and accepted it was a joke.   Bentley had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Inspector Gadget, as far as is known, has not faced disciplinary action or legal proceedings for his comments.

‘riot better, riot more’  just sounded quite good.   and rhymed.

A Rolling Festive Phone-in to Atos ‘Healthcare’

As part of the National Month of Festive Action Against Atos we are calling for a rolling mass telephone complaint to poverty pimps Atos in the run up to Christmas.

Beginning on Monday 12th December and running up until Christmas benefit claimants, disabled people and supporters will be ringing both local and national Atos Offices to complain about their obscene treatment of sick and disabled people.

How To Get Involved
We urgently need as many towns, cities, groups and individuals to commit to a morning or afternoon shift in the upcoming days and get as many people as possible to ring Atos and complain about their involvement in the Work Capability Assessment.

To maximise the protest we will aim to have as many groups as possible calling Atos at different times in the run up to Christmas. We’ll maintain a list here and on facebook to try and help co-ordinate times/dates and see if we can keep the phonelines buzzing daily in the run up to Christmas. Please contact us by leaving details in the comments on facebook or emailing us at: notowelfarecuts@yahoo.co.uk

If you aren’t part of a local group, or even if you are, support the other protests by calling Atos along with them.

Either ring your local Atos Offices, or their corporate headquarters, or why not both! Atos’s main numbers (including a handy freephone number) are:
+44 (0)20 7830 4444 (Tel)
+44 (o)20 7830 4233 (Tel)
+44 (0)800 783 3040 (Freephone)
+44 (0)20 7830 4445 (Fax)

Atos ‘Healthcare’ who run the Work Capability Assessment have a main number at: +44 (0) 113 230 9175

Whilst it’s well worth trying to speak to a manager or senior individual if possible please bear in mind most people taking calls will be low paid receptionist/admin staff so we call on people to be be business-like and non-confrontational. Be aware that is an offence to make telephone calls which are threatening, indecent or offensive. Keep it fluffy. Why not sing them a carol?

Anyone who manages to get through to Atos CEO Keith Wilman will win the customary prize of a free Crisis Loan*

Some calls may be recorded for the purposes of taking the piss.

Brighton DPAC who will be phoning Atos on the mornings of Monday 12th and Monday 19th of December have produced a script/template which can be read out, or emailed/faxed to Atos. Visit their fb event page (below) for details.

Join in online!
You can also contact Atos via email. Their Head of PR can be reached at: caroline.crouch@atos.net and general enquiries can be sent to: ukwebenquiries@atos.ne. Atos ‘Healthcare’ can be reached at: customer-relations@atoshealthcare.com or to ask for a job go to: jobs@sjbmedical.com

Atos have new facebook groups and pages springing up all the time. Search for Atos on facebook to find them. You can also tweet using the hashtags #atos, we’ll be monitoring twitter for any other hashtags Atos use.

Action planned so far

Monday 12th and Monday 19th December from 9am
Brighton DPAC: For details visit: http://www.facebook.com/events/132910660153707/

Please organise and contact us to be added to the list!

If you are planning on braving the cold and holding a protest as part of the month of action please send details asap to: notowelfare@yahoo.co.uk or leave details in the comments.

The main facebook page for the Month of Action can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122853381158514

Come to the Triton Square Christmas Party and Picnic outside Atos’ Headquarters on December 16th from 2pm: http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/a-real-victorian-christmas-party-and-picnic-at-triton-square-friday-16th-december/

*actually we still can’t give out Crisis Loans as prizes. The DWP are bastards like that.

Atos are the French IT firm responsible for carrying out the government’s Work Capability Assessment which has led to tens of thousands of sick and disabled people being forced into poverty after being stripped of essential benefits. Despite the process being dubbed unfit for purpose and an increasing number of suicides due to the stressful and vicious health testing regime, this form of assessment is to be extended to everyone on some form of disability or health related benefit.