ROCKING THE CASBAH.

I couldn't not write something about the Gaza situation now that the battle has come to our streets, not when yesterdays mini rioting saw twelve arrests and three hospitalized police in what looked a Butlin's style holiday romp compared to the actual cycle of violence happening in the 'holy land'.
But the daily rising death toll of innocent murdered Israeli's and Palestinians is nothing to the suffering that strife worn residents of Kensington are having to go through on a daily basis just to survive the brutalities of life, "We are sealed in our homes every night as our street is closed. Businesses like shops and restaurants already on their knees are laying off staff (the protests being the only reason of course). All this is going ahead with police permission, and the biggest kick in the teeth is that we are picking up the bill in our council tax!" (clearly the suffering isn't confined to just those in the war zones). "We have appealed to the Metropolitan Police to switch the protests to Hyde Park but no one is listening to us" whinged 'Author John Cookson, who represents Old Court House Residents Association' (and the long suffering huddled masses -in his building) .

SHARIF DON'T LIKE IT...
Aah, poor dear. This reasoning in the face of why (and where) the protests are taking place would be funny if it were not such a tragic situation, i think that a restaurant loosing a few customers pales into insignificance compared to the deaths of innocent people killed by distantly launched bombs and missiles, but if blow-hards like 'Author John Cookson' can stick their well worn tuppence worth into a situation that could start world war three then so can i.

Has Mr Cookson considered that some of the protesters may live (and pay council tax) within Kensington? would they be allowed to protest near the Israeli embassy? "You have to have police permission to have a demonstration if there are more than a certain number of people, and it is unbelievable that permission keeps being given" he went on, who is he trying to impress by citing the 'Criminal' justice act? there is a reason that law isn't enacted very often, and that's because it is so inflammatory that it may well lead to an escalation of trouble and actually make the situation worse. In situations like this the use of such an law may well be seen as taking sides, spreading the violence through the areas small streets creating a situation that could not be controlled because of the lack of man power and the topography of the area which lends its self very well to uncontrollable rioting (ask any ex-Holland park pupil!), it wouldn't be the first time. But then the tendency to forget the lessons of the past are what brought us to where we all are now.

Not in my street Indeed.