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.

[Ally]

Fucking shocking the lack of news coverage. This thing was mental.

[purlieu]

Sigh. This is why I don't go to Leeds. My flatmate last year told us of the hilarious time at last year's festival where he sent a firework flying into someone's tent.

[TheIncredible]

Sounds like a typical night out in Glasgow Ally - you would have been well prepared (can picture you just now chibbed up with a chair leg - get in there my son!).

Glad you came out unscathed mate. Apart from the shenanigans, how was the festivals - any good reviews of the bands?

[Dirty0900]

Thats the difference between a indie/rock and dance festival like global gathering. At GG, most people were to drugged up to cause a fight or any trouble in the campsite, they were to busy sharing the love

[stimpee]

Ally, check this post. C*nt.

[Ally]

Originally Posted by purlieu

Sigh. This is why I don't go to Leeds. My flatmate last year told us of the hilarious time at last year's festival where he sent a firework flying into someone's tent.

Yeah there's always an atmosphere on the last night at Leeds, this was the worst I've seen though.

Originally Posted by TheIncredible

Sounds like a typical night out in Glasgow Ally - you would have been well prepared (can picture you just now chibbed up with a chair leg - get in there my son!).

Glad you came out unscathed mate. Apart from the shenanigans, how was the festivals - any good reviews of the bands?

Haha! I actually explained to my compadres what a chib was Situation was hairy though, I didn't even think to get pictures. The original plan was to wait until first light before packing but Sarah was getting more and more upset so I packed up about 5:30 and lugged our gear outta there.
Bands were wicked though - Mylo played that mix of Drop The Pressure and Dr Pressure I'd been expecting, Sons & Daughters were brilliant too. The Go! Team got shown up by the poorer quality of the crowd compared to when I saw them at T In The Park - I was the only idiot pogoing when they came on stage, everyone else wasn't doing any more than nodding..

Originally Posted by Dirty0900

Thats the difference between a indie/rock and dance festival like global gathering. At GG, most people were to drugged up to cause a fight or any trouble in the campsite, they were to busy sharing the love

Yeah I'm not sure I'll go again, it was disgusting. I wouldn't miss Leeds - I already have T In The Park as a regular fixture and Glastonbury as regular as I can get it.

Originally Posted by stimpee

Ally, check this post. C*nt.

Yeah I saw it, there are some complete idiots on that forum. The webmaster Neil is a roaster too - he got all surly with me once when I e-mailed him to correct some information about the Slam Tent at T In The Park. Thank Christ I don't use those forums...

[Rog]

Sounds pretty nasty to me! having been in the vicinity of an exploding small propane cylinder a few years back it's amazing no one was seriously hurt or killed! A piece of metal from the cylinder was found embedded in the brickwork about 10 foot from where i was and i was about 30 feet away!


You can say what you like about V but i've been going there since 1998 and the only problem i ever had was where some scouser nicked some beer off us through my own stupidity...... no riots, tents damaged or anything. The security has usually been OK too. I would never go to Leeds again after the trouble in 2002. It wouldn't suprise me if they lost their licence this time and then the decent fans like yourself wil have lost out to the arseholes once again.

[Ally]

Originally Posted by Rog

Sounds pretty nasty to me! having been in the vicinity of an exploding small propane cylinder a few years back it's amazing no one was seriously hurt or killed! A piece of metal from the cylinder was found embedded in the brickwork about 10 foot from where i was and i was about 30 feet away!


You can say what you like about V but i've been going there since 1998 and the only problem i ever had was where some scouser nicked some beer off us through my own stupidity...... no riots, tents damaged or anything. The security has usually been OK too. I would never go to Leeds again after the trouble in 2002. It wouldn't suprise me if they lost their licence this time and then the decent fans like yourself wil have lost out to the arseholes once again.

Yeah there's a post early in that thread I linked where a guy relates how a pole or something flew past him. The explosions were scary - that thumping style where you feel it in your ears as much as anywhere else, accompanied by huge gouts of flame and the noise of debris in the fire or something (the unmistakeable noise of metal hitting wood). Without a word of exaggeration I'm surprised no-one was killed - the guys we met who we were camped with told me they saw one person being stretchered away with bandages all over their face...
I'm not sure I want them to lose the license as it might mean the element that makes Leeds the way it is gets scattered to the wind, seed-style. I certainly don't want to keep company with these tossers. With any luck there will be justice dished out - I've learned through investigation that the reason security kept charging in and coming out was because they were targeting the ringleaders (there were definitely leaders in this mob) using handheld video cameras (which I can confirm I saw) and going in for them. By all accounts Stuart Security were brutal once they had you, I didn't see any innocent parties getting taken though - everyone with sense was staying away from the epicentre of the trouble (the bonfire) and only idiots who were hanging around in the mob were getting taken.

Someone's next day picture.

http://www.jnixon54.fsnet.co.uk/Pict.../Riot-Mess.jpg

My tent was on the hill to the left of where the guy who's folding his arms head is. The bar, cider tent etc are behind the camera.

[Ally]

The wrecked Carling Bar, the staff were still inside when the mob charged it.