Leeds riot

[Ally]

Absolutely one of the most un-nerving experiences I've ever had. Woken at 3am on the last night by the loudest explosion I've ever heard and then by someone running over my tent. On getting out I found that a mob had built a bonfire mere feet (20, max) from my tent (at Piccadilly Circus, a crossroads) and had pulled down a pylon, plunging the whole site into darkness. They were chucking gas canisters stolen from burger vans onto the fire, that was the explosions - I'm genuinely surprised no-one was killed. I realised quickly that they were actually fighting with security in riot gear.
Turns out the crowd had lit the fire and then attacked a fire crew when they came to put it out.
Cue a fraught couple of hours as we actually had to beat these ignominious rats away every time the riot police charged them and they came running up the hill past our tents (and I mean beat, we had broken legs off a chair to protect our belongings with - the crowd were setting fire to peoples' tents too...). Some of the brutality I saw was unbelievable (a young guy getting kicked unconscious, a girl having her nose expertly exploded by a riot shield) but I have absolutely no sympathy - you should have seen these total arseholes. Anyone who complains of being innocent has no case - they were spectators and they were egging the mob on. Some of them actually believed in what what they were doing, one clown stopped near us and shouted at the riot cops "you fascist bastards.. totalitarian wankers" in his hoarse wee voice. I told him to shut up.
Eventually the crowd charged a bar, smashed it, broke in and then raided three refrigerated lorries for beer. They then set fire to the adjoining cider bar; someone's livelihood.
These pricks should be hung for their stupidity.

Here are some people talking about it:
http://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/i...howtopic=50475

Read it at your peril though, the efestivals forum is home to one of the highest concentrations of pleb to be found anywhere online.