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...really!

Oslo riots

Saturday, 10. January 2009, 16:26:41

,

On Thursday, there was a demonstration against the war in Gaza here in Oslo. It was supposed to be demo against the war, thus not taking sides in the conflict.
Unfortunately things got out of hand, mostly due to (very) young pro-Palestina supporters who set fire to trash bins, crushed shop windows and caused lots of damage, causing riots the Oslo police have not seen since the 80's.

A new demonstration was planned today and I had planned on going downtown to watch it. As chance (or now I'd like to think it was more luck) would have it, I had to go elsewhere instead.
On my way home, I popped into the shop for some supplies and as I got out, it started rasping in my nose and throat. Very uncomfortable.
I hurried home while coughing and drying tears that had started to come, and switched on the news.
Yup - things have got way out of hand again... This time, media reports that demonstrators are shooting fireworks and throwing stones against the barricades the police has set up, causing the police to react with teargas. That's what I felt on my way home.

Apparently, this time professional demonstrators from abroad have joined the crowd, totally destroying any chance of a peaceful demonstration and, of course, making lots of people sympathize with "the other side" instead... :rolleyes:
Why can't they understand that crushing windows and throwing rocks at the police while shooting fireworks INTO the crowd of demonstrators does not do anything for the sake? Fucking idiots! :furious:

So... as I am trying to remove that horrible rasp in my throat with a martini, I can't help wondering - if I felt it so much where I live, how horrible must it not be for the ones trying to demonstrate peacefully...

(The story is still developing... :frown:)

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Comments

Moesring 10. January 2009, 16:42

Is "professional demonstrator" a euphemism for hooligan? :D

Unfortunately things got out of hand, mostly due to (very) young pro-Palestina supporters

How young do you mean by "(very) young"? To me, that means like 5-year-olds. :eyes:

Keep drinking the Martinis, I'm sure they'll help in the long run. :yes::Martini:

rose-marie 10. January 2009, 16:45

They are definitely hooligans :mad:.
The very young'uns were under 18. The media didn't report their age, except that...

And yes, I think you're right

gdare 10. January 2009, 16:49

You made me remember my young days during 90s with melancholy. Running away from a tear gas in 1991. in first anti-Milosevic`s demonstrations, armoured wehicles and tanks on the streets; saving poor woman from insane cop beating her with a long rubber stick (got one over my back, though, but she was rescued); 2 months of everyday marching through main streets in Belgrade during winter 1996-1997, first serious counterattack of Milosevic`s supporters backed up with anti riot police; kicking ass of a police in October 2000. when tyrant needed to back off... Then everything changed and I lost interest in rioting. Forever! I am too old for that :left:

So, does the tear gas has the same smell after all these years? :D

Furie 10. January 2009, 16:51

Wherever you get people together to demonstrate their displeasure about something, you'll get idiots who don't actually care about the subject matter using it as an excuse to cause trouble. :mad:

Furie 10. January 2009, 16:53

Like Darko for example. :lol:

rose-marie 10. January 2009, 16:54

Oh dear... Your riots were much, much worse than this :eyes:. I admire your courage, Darko!
We haven't had any tanks on the streets yet, but if things get worse in front of the Israeli embassy, who knows what will happen...

I have never been teargassed, so I wouldn't know. But it's horrible! I can't even imagine being sprayed directly :insane:.

rose-marie 10. January 2009, 16:56

You're right Mik. I just wished they'd think just a tiny little bit about what their behaviour means to the people they are "trying to support".

gdare 10. January 2009, 17:33

Back then it was mostly a police who started beating us first - by the order of some superiors, of course. I was not that brave, Rose, a strong sense of self preservation held me mostly in places where it was easy to avoid the worse. Sometimes.
In October 2000. it was not only the tear gas they put on us, but a whole bunch of mixed chemicals packed in small hand grenade-like devices. And there was a lot of it. At one moment I was blinded, couldn`t breathe, half choking and police was about 20m of my friend and me. He was in better condition so he grabbed me, pulled me in nearby building where some people gave me water to wash my mouth and eyes. It was carbonized water but I didn`t care :left:

rose-marie 10. January 2009, 17:41

:faint:
I feel so stupid complaining about my nose and throat now... :o:

Furie 10. January 2009, 17:42

Jesus, that's bloody awful. Only thing I've believed in enough to get into something like that was chocolate covered pretzels.

gdare 10. January 2009, 17:46

The worse thing is, the people we fought for (not directly, but we believed they could bring us most wanted change) proved to be the same assholes we fought against. Then, I told myself: OK, that was all from my part. I will never go rioting again.

When I say "people" I meant politicians :yuck:

rose-marie 10. January 2009, 18:01

I wonder if that's the reason you seldom see older people rioting...

Ah, politicians you actually can believe in are rare.
Didn't things get better after Milosevic?

gdare 10. January 2009, 18:30

A little bit. And it was for a short time. But main problems weren`t solved. And this is what is the most annoying :irked:

Zaphira 10. January 2009, 18:48

I hate people who demonstrate just to make trouble. Get a life for fucks sake! :mad:

Dacotah 10. January 2009, 19:23

:frown: Hope you are feeling better now Rose-Marie. *Hugs*

qlue 10. January 2009, 20:15

Ignorant people often act irrationally. awww.
A peacefull protest is warranted, but once violence and vandalism start, the protest has lost.
Why should protesters come from outside of Norway to protest what's happening io Israel/Palestine anyway? :confused:.
There are protests being organised around the world, and if there isn't one in your country, organise one. :irked:. But don't go looking for a fight in someone elses back yard. :irked:.

Furie 10. January 2009, 21:38

It's always been that way Darko. "Here comes the new king, same as the old king." is translated from an old Roman saying, which shows you how long politicians have been out for themselves over the people. No matter how many people die for a cause, the thing they're fighting against is usually the thing they end up with one way or another. Just remember, chocolate covered pretzels are the only thing worth fighting for in this world. :yes:

theoddbod 10. January 2009, 23:41

They don't care about the cause, they just want to cause trouble. Not that they'd all agree what the cause actually was, anyway.

Meanwhile in the UK, what's the #1 headline? Is it a war? Is it economic trouble? No, it's that Prince Harry used a bad word 3 years ago. Tune in soon for our shocking exposé on a man who is of no consequence :rolleyes:

Furie 10. January 2009, 23:48

The boy who'll never be king? I hear that he went to a fancy dress party once dressed as a soldier from a war that was over 60 years ago. :yikes:

gdare 11. January 2009, 09:08

:lol: Real troublemaker!!! :lol:

rose-marie 11. January 2009, 11:15

Darko - Frustrating...

Zap - Exactly!

Carol - I'm ok, thank you. A couple of martinis took away that awful taste in my mouth :D.

Aadil - What Mart said. They don't care about the cause at all, they just want to raise as much hell as possible. Ignorant assholes.

Mik - Chocolate covered pretzels... That just doesn't sound good :left:.

Mart - True. And I actually saw that in a Norwegian newspaper too yesterday. Something about him having used racist words in the military... :rolleyes:

The update from yesterday is that the police apprehended 160 people yesterday. One of them as young as 13.

Zaphira 11. January 2009, 12:34

I just heard on the news that it's the same thing down here. Lots of troublemakers, below the age where police can keep them. :rolleyes:

rose-marie 11. January 2009, 12:56

*sigh* It is kind of sad, really...

Furie 11. January 2009, 13:28

Rose, that's what I thought til I tried them. They're amazing. :happy: Try to find or make some to try sometime. It's worth it.

rose-marie 11. January 2009, 13:36

You'll have to post a recipe then :yes:

Moesring 11. January 2009, 13:42

I remember some miniature (as in, maybe two inches wide) pretzels I used to eat that were covered in either white chocolate or milk chocolate. They were quite nice. :yes:

I suppose a full-size chocolate pretzel would be even nicerer. :chef:

Furie 11. January 2009, 15:26

Pretzel Flipz by any chance Moe?

Rose, melt a small amount of milk chocolate, dunk some small pretzels in it covering them completely, let them set in the fridge, get ready for heaven.
This recipe brought to you by FRS. :D

rose-marie 11. January 2009, 16:18

:lol: Actually, I'm not even sure we can get genuine pretzels here. I know there is something called salty sticks which I suppose is similar, but not nearly as funny looking... :left:

Moesring 11. January 2009, 16:46

Mik: It could be. :up:
I don't remember the name. awww

Dacotah 11. January 2009, 17:09

:D

Furie 12. January 2009, 00:17

We have those here Rose. They're pretty much the same thing so they may work.

Suntana 12. January 2009, 01:36

Not that I understand it or condone it, but I can easily see people in the Real World being sooooo over the top in their beliefs and support for a cause or whatever ... that they resort to out of control behavior. I say this because I have seen countless times how people can get seriously out of control on Message Boards. They're just freakin' Message Boards for Pete's Sake! Just casual past times, yet certain topics, like Religion & Politics are guaranteed to bring out the worst in people. Things get nuclear pretty quickly. So, if people can get out of control in such a casual, would be innocuous environment as a Message Board, it's not surprising that in the Real World, people with volcanic personalities and mindsets will not be deterred by logic, decorum and sense of right & wrong when trying to get their way.

rose-marie 12. January 2009, 08:53

Mik - I'm not very keen on sweet/salt. I've tried smash (chocolate covered corn snacks) and wasn't impressed...

Carlos - I don't doubt their support of the cause, but at the same time I don't doubt that they enjoy rioting. Like I mentioned in the post - professional rioters were expected, and they did show up too. Who do you think threw rocks at the police? The same people who'll join any demo as long as there's a chance to fight :down:.

Furie 12. January 2009, 11:56

Blasphemer. p:

rose-marie 12. January 2009, 12:21

Maybe - but I love both sweet and salt... separately :yes:

qlue 13. January 2009, 04:54

A nice treat is Kerrygold cheddar dipped io Nuttela. :up:

studio41 13. January 2009, 06:30

I hope you are well now, Rose-Marie. Sorry you went through that and I'm glad that you weren't in the thick of it! Nutella sounds good about now to me, btw.

rose-marie 13. January 2009, 07:32

Hmm... cheese and chocolate? Sounds interesting :sherlock:.

Thank you Jill Marie - I'm doing just fine :up:. It was just so surprising that the teargas would have effect for such a distance...

Furie 13. January 2009, 09:13

Closest thing I've had to tear gas is when Lewis let off some homemade mustard gas in my bar. :irked:

rose-marie 13. January 2009, 09:17

:lol:

gdare 13. January 2009, 10:26

:yuck:

qlue 13. January 2009, 17:33

Tear gas is carried by the wind. It's actually not a gas but a type of smoke. So it depends on how strong the wind is. :up:

rose-marie 13. January 2009, 17:45

Thanks Aadil :smile:. It must've been horrible standing in the midst of it.

qlue 13. January 2009, 18:52

It can be life threatening ems asthma sufferers. awww. The riots must have been bad to have caused the police to resort to teargas. As a correctional officer, I'm trained io the use of teargas. But we only use it io the most extreme and dire circumstances. Used irresponsibly, it can be more dangerous than live ammunition. :insane:

rose-marie 13. January 2009, 20:19

I suppose the police though being thrown stones and fireworks at was bad enough...

Have you ever needed to use it?

qlue 14. January 2009, 06:26

It's not been needed since I joined. We'd only use it io a full scale riot. Chances are, it'd be io the news before we needed to use it. :D

rose-marie 14. January 2009, 07:43

Tazers, on the other hand... :whistle:
p:

qlue 14. January 2009, 08:54

We don't have tazers in South Africa. :left:.
At least, government departments don't get issued with them yet. We use tonfas instead. It's a plastic baton with a handle sticking out the side of it. It can be a deadly weapon, especially if you use it the wrong way. (even when you use it the right way).
We do have electric shields though, large polycarbonate (plastic, plexiglass) sheets with aluminium strips on the front. Similar to tazers but not exactly as usefull.
The best, and most effective weapon for a correctional officer working inside the prison is confidence. No matter how well armed you are, you're always outnumbered by at least fifty to one. If you don't have confidence, you're screwed. You have to be in controll and the inmates must know that you're in controll.

gdare 14. January 2009, 10:17

Origin of tonfa is Okinawa and it could be very useful in various situations. This is why police forces adopted them.

rose-marie 14. January 2009, 10:26

I'm thinking that in order to be in control, you'd have to put yourself in respect by the inmates first. I'm not saying that has anything to do with various weapons, of course :insane: (although I think in quite a few cases that is the case).
Is being confident (or at least putting up a face that shows confidence) really enough for them to know that you're in control?

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