Stabbings in Reading

[Alberon]

Looks like there's a major incident in my home town of Reading tonight. I was heading home from my Mum's in the north to my house in the south and there were police everywhere.

Reports say three or four people have been stabbed, perhaps fatally, in Forbury Gardens (a park in the centre of town) and someone was chased and arrested down Friar Street.

There was a Black Lives Matter protest held there earlier, but it doesn't seem to be connected. Some are claiming its a terrorist attack. No one really knows yet.

EDIT: The Telegraph are saying three dead and two critically injured in what seems a random attack.

[iamcoop]

This seems horrendous. I grew up in Reading. Spent many a day in Forbury Gardens as a teen. I still have many, many friends in that town who would've most likely been in that area today so I'm a bit on edge.

[Alberon]

I stumbled over a video on twitter of several sets of emergency workers trying to save the lives of at least three people, at least one performing CPR. I've seen the video reposted twice so I'm reporting it every time, for all the good that will do.

I've been in the Forbury Gardens hundreds of times. It feels really unsettling when violence hits this close to home.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Sorry to hear that, I hope we get an idea soon what the fuck this was all about. Hopefully nothing that will disrupt BLM's progress, but first and foremost my heart goes out for the families concerned.

[Danger Man]

Imagine if the UK could buy guns. It would be a bloodbath.

[Danger Man]

Security sources have told the BBC a man arrested at the scene is thought to be Libyan.

'terror'

[bgmnts]

Quite literally had a whatsapp conversation where she goes:

"Yeah there's some reports saying it could be terror."

[Alberon]

Ah bollocks. Was rather hoping it was some lone nutter rather than some terrorist nutter. This is just what 2020 needs.

Armed police are currently raiding a block of flats on the Basingstoke Road. It runs from the centre of Reading straight south (towards Basingstoke, duh) and passes just 100 yards from my home, but I suspect the flats are further north than me.

[Danger Man]

'terror' = a non-white taxi driver who has lost his job.

Let's see how this pans out.

[Alberon]

Yeah, I know. I really hope it isn't terrorist related.

[bgmnts]

'terror' = a non-white taxi driver who has lost his job.

Let's see how this pans out.

I think Timothy McVeigh and the Unabomber are the only white terrorists ever.

[Danger Man]

I think Timothy McVeigh and the Unabomber are the only white terrorists ever.

Yeah. All the others go 'postal'

[chveik]

Was rather hoping it was some lone nutter rather than some terrorist nutter.

often the same thing

[Ambient Sheep]

I think Timothy McVeigh and the Unabomber are the only white terrorists ever.

Baader-Meinhof gang...

[Ambient Sheep]

Not terror, say BBC, despite the perpetrator still being Libyan...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-53123975


EDIT: Am reminded of this Attila the Stockbroker song from my youth:

Just look at us - we're the scourge of the land
We're Colonel Gadaffi's favourite band
We all eat babies and we're commies too
And we've all got AIDS and we'll give it to you
With scaly tails and horns and hooves
We undermine everything that moves
You can read about us in the daily press:
we're worse than the Russians and the DHSS
So don't mess with us, cos we're foreign and we smell -
We're the Libyan Students from Hell!

If your telly goes wrong or your car won't start
you can bet your life that we played our part
If your team doesn't win or you miss the bus
then ten to one it was down to us
If a dog runs off with your copy of the Sun
and brings it back with the crossword done
If someone smacks you in the head
or you find a terrapin in your bed
we did it - and everything else as well
Cos we're Libyan Students from Hell!

There's nothing very prudent about a Libyan student
Can't you tell?
There's nothing very prudent about a Libyan student
from Hell!

We imported Neighbours to these shores
We personally started both World Wars
We broke your Gran's Coronation mugs
We sold Ben Johnson all his drugs
We caused the Plague and the Great Fire too
and we brought The Price Is Right' to you
We pushed Robert Maxwell over the side
We took Marc Bolan for his last ride
So don't mess with us - we're foreign and we smell
We're the Libyan Students from Hell...

[Paul Calf]

I think Timothy McVeigh and the Unabomber are the only white terrorists ever.

Erm...
And, er...

[Ambient Sheep]

Feel very dumb not mentioning the Irish lads.  And should have got ETA as well come to that.

[Johnny Yesno]

Ash Sarkar celebrates the killings by eating an ice lolly, according to paranoid The Godfather fans:

https://twitter.com/AyoCaesar/status/1274589693741539329

[idunnosomename]

Mostly men who look like big bald lumps of ham in a shirt

[Jumblegraws]

Ash Sarkar celebrates the killings by eating an ice lolly, according to paranoid The Godfather fans:

https://twitter.com/AyoCaesar/status/1274589693741539329

That was the last thing I looked at on Twitter last night, had a naive chuckle at this latest reach from a few of the types who start huffing the moment they remember Ash Sarkar exists. Had a look at Twitter just now, see that it's become received wisdom that she was mocking the Reading victims, or at least recklessly posted something that could be read that way, and she's had a flood of death threats. The oranges 🍊 emojis apparently represent the victims and weren't just a rule-of-three reference to the ice lolly. Checkmate.

Also, Jackie Collins WALKER showed up to tut-tut at Sarkar's "sexualisation" of herself https://twitter.com/jackiew80333500/status/1274595028925587457?s=21. Do those two have previous?

[Johnny Yesno]

Also, Jackie Collins showed up to tut-tut at Sarkar's "sexualisation" of herself https://twitter.com/jackiew80333500/status/1274595028925587457?s=21. Do those two have previous?

I was wondering what had happened to Jackie Collins to turn her from steamy sex novelist to prude...

[Jumblegraws]

I was wondering what had happened to Jackie Collins to turn her from steamy sex novelist to prude...

Christ, I'm an idiot

[Buelligan]

You're really not that bad.  The Ash thing is super weird though, it's so random and baseless, like something a television show murderer would dream up.  That one about Libya's orange exports, fuck me. 

Just hoping Trump dies from three mortal blows today.  Maybe three ice picks to the brainhole, that'd be good.

Jackie Stewart's dead anyway.

[bgmnts]

How many of those comment cunts had a wank over the picture first? At least 50%

[Buelligan]

I sincerely hope none of them.  The idea that a woman can't eat an ice lolly without men wanking about it, speaks volumes about equality in this, so-called, modern world of ours.

[Huxleys Babkins]

It wouldn't be the first time that men have reacted violently in retaliation to being aroused by something or someone that they "shouldn't".

[SpiderChrist]

Now being treated by police as a terrorist incident, although  mental health is being considered as "a major factor".

[Johnny Yesno]

I sincerely hope none of them.  The idea that a woman can't eat an ice lolly without men wanking about it, speaks volumes about equality in this, so-called, modern world of ours.

I don't think it's the wanking as much as the posting pictures of nooses that's the problem.

[jobotic]

Now being treated by police as a terrorist incident, although  mental health is being considered as "a major factor".

Cummings must have told Patel to tell the police that it would he in Vote Leave's interests if this was called a terrorist incident. Not that I'm a conspiracy theorist.

Twitter is happy about having inadequate scum posting nooses at a woman who has had an ice lolly then?

[Blumf]

Not terror, say BBC, despite the perpetrator still being Libyan...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-53123975

Reading appears desolate and in mourning this morning. Large areas outside the gardens are taped up and there are not many people here, mainly journalists and their TV cameras.

A strong wind is rattling litter in grey, deserted streets, most of which are being patrolled by armed police. Commuters are struggling to get to work as so many roads have been cordoned off with police tape.

Good to see the creative writing degree wasn't wasted.