There were four of them, waiting in the entry, what for we'll never know. She didn't see them. It was pitch black.
"What the fuck are you doing out here at this time?!!"
They surprised her. She felt threatened, but would take no shit.
"I'll dump my rubbish any time I want!!"
"You're one of them fuckin' residents aren't you?"
"Yeah. So what?"
"This is our area now. Sell your house and get the fuck out of the Holylands!!"
If you're wondering who these people are, they're your future doctors, lawyers, teachers. Do you really want them teaching your kids?
Sunday, April 22, 2007
"Indecent Exposure"
Picture the scene. You call the cops.
"There's a naked student running down the street."
"I'm sorry, we can't make out what you're saying."
You hang up. Phone again. Different cop.
"What does he look like?"
"Naked"
Eventually two of them come out. The exhibitionist is long gone. It's not hard to work out why they took their time.
It is of course absurd that public nudity is treated as indecent exposure and can get you a lifetime on the sex offenders' register. However, if a working class person ran naked through the street, the cops would destroy their life. If the law is an ass, it's burden should fall equally on the rich and the poor. Well, that's what they say anyway.
"There's a naked student running down the street."
"I'm sorry, we can't make out what you're saying."
You hang up. Phone again. Different cop.
"What does he look like?"
"Naked"
Eventually two of them come out. The exhibitionist is long gone. It's not hard to work out why they took their time.
It is of course absurd that public nudity is treated as indecent exposure and can get you a lifetime on the sex offenders' register. However, if a working class person ran naked through the street, the cops would destroy their life. If the law is an ass, it's burden should fall equally on the rich and the poor. Well, that's what they say anyway.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Another Family Flees
They told no-one. One day the removal van just came. They couldn't take any more. Nobody knows where they have gone. People do that here, just disappear. Maybe they're renting from some scumbag private landlord. Maybe they're renting from one of those who have raped this community. Thus the landlords create greater demand for their own disgusting trade.
A friend of mine remembers when Declan Boyle's brother ( and business partner) put her and her children out of their home so he could cram students in. Welcolme to homelessness. Say hello to the world of " Cathy Come Home", our government's housing policy. Say goodbye to public housing. It's going going gone. The new Rachmans have taken over. This area was redlined at least 15 years ago and tens of millions taken from the housing budget (It's gone now. No more executive new builds.) and poured into landlords' pockets. Kiss your community goodbye. It's a UK phenomenon, but in the Holylands we get our faces rubbed in it.
A friend of mine remembers when Declan Boyle's brother ( and business partner) put her and her children out of their home so he could cram students in. Welcolme to homelessness. Say hello to the world of " Cathy Come Home", our government's housing policy. Say goodbye to public housing. It's going going gone. The new Rachmans have taken over. This area was redlined at least 15 years ago and tens of millions taken from the housing budget (It's gone now. No more executive new builds.) and poured into landlords' pockets. Kiss your community goodbye. It's a UK phenomenon, but in the Holylands we get our faces rubbed in it.
"Criminal Damage"
"People are learning to hate you cunts all over again.!!"
I was screaming. It felt good. I could tell they wanted to arrest me. Itchy fingers were reaching for the CS spray.
"You treat us like dogshit, while you let these cunts do whatever they want!"
My friend calmly tells then that it's true. She politely disagrees with their rehearsed answers about dealing with the situation as they find it. If a resident calls for assistance they may never come out, but if a student complains about a resident six police cars arrive and his door's nearly kicked in.
The reason? "Criminal Damage". Tell the cops that a resident's committed criminal damage and they'll swoop like something out of a Hollywood movie. One marked and five unmarked cars were floating round the Holyland watching the community, waiting to pounce on my neighbours.
They've declared war on us. They're an army of occupation. They drive on by while "students" commit untold criminal damage, including plenty of arson, and inflict catastrophic noise, then turn to me and tell me to,
"Keep the noise down"
Is it any wonder I exploded?
If you're wondering why they didn't arrest me, it's because I had a witness. Without her I'd have got the CS spray in the face and a baton over the head. You can be sure no "Student" will ever have that experience.
I was screaming. It felt good. I could tell they wanted to arrest me. Itchy fingers were reaching for the CS spray.
"You treat us like dogshit, while you let these cunts do whatever they want!"
My friend calmly tells then that it's true. She politely disagrees with their rehearsed answers about dealing with the situation as they find it. If a resident calls for assistance they may never come out, but if a student complains about a resident six police cars arrive and his door's nearly kicked in.
The reason? "Criminal Damage". Tell the cops that a resident's committed criminal damage and they'll swoop like something out of a Hollywood movie. One marked and five unmarked cars were floating round the Holyland watching the community, waiting to pounce on my neighbours.
They've declared war on us. They're an army of occupation. They drive on by while "students" commit untold criminal damage, including plenty of arson, and inflict catastrophic noise, then turn to me and tell me to,
"Keep the noise down"
Is it any wonder I exploded?
If you're wondering why they didn't arrest me, it's because I had a witness. Without her I'd have got the CS spray in the face and a baton over the head. You can be sure no "Student" will ever have that experience.
The keystone cops have got machine guns now
Why were they there? Five landrovers, a twenty man Tactical Support Unit of riot squad, every police car and van from Donegall Pass station flooded the Holylands. Another resident and I followed them as they chased a teenager into the Lower Ormeau and cornered him with machine guns. Was he a Republican Dissident? Not likely, not at his age. Was he an armed robber? he looked too terrified to be a hardened criminal.
The Tactical Support Units roamed through the Holylands with their machine guns searching gardens and entries. It was like the troubles, but without the danger. These fools weren't even wearing body armour. The search lasted from midnight till 1.30 am. A police car pulled up and told a TSU,
" We got one of them"
At the police meeting we were told that two deeply anti-social individuals were scooped and a great service had been done to the public. I commented that I would love to see a twenty man TSU in the Holylands five nights a week.
"Of course", I said,"it would help if they enforced the law.
Sargeant Bell's tired of hearing this.
"You've raised this before and Lewis Brown's told you..." Blah blah blah blah blah.
Later I discovered the truth. A fifteen year old girl had broken bail conditions and run away from the local home with her boyfriend.
A sledge hammer is used to crack a nut when it's working class people. If you've got property or privelege or power you can do whatever you want. You're above the law.
The Tactical Support Units roamed through the Holylands with their machine guns searching gardens and entries. It was like the troubles, but without the danger. These fools weren't even wearing body armour. The search lasted from midnight till 1.30 am. A police car pulled up and told a TSU,
" We got one of them"
At the police meeting we were told that two deeply anti-social individuals were scooped and a great service had been done to the public. I commented that I would love to see a twenty man TSU in the Holylands five nights a week.
"Of course", I said,"it would help if they enforced the law.
Sargeant Bell's tired of hearing this.
"You've raised this before and Lewis Brown's told you..." Blah blah blah blah blah.
Later I discovered the truth. A fifteen year old girl had broken bail conditions and run away from the local home with her boyfriend.
A sledge hammer is used to crack a nut when it's working class people. If you've got property or privelege or power you can do whatever you want. You're above the law.
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