Urban Unrest - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**Canadian Dude** · 07-04-2003, 11:01 PM

I have had the pleasent experience of being caught in 2 situations of urban unrest.

The first time I was walking up an alley way in London minding my own business, looking at a book, i was oblivious to what was going on around me until it was too late, I was standing in the middle of the street alone, to the right of me was a hord of English soccer fans being held back by police, to the left of me was the Brazilian soccor fans also being held back by police, I stood there for a moment wonder how in the hell I ended up in this situation, then it hit me! Well not hit but wizzed by my head, a frik'n pint glass smashed on the ground beside me..one of the police officers started to scream at me to get out of the "hot zone", needless to say I took off pretty quick..I found out later that the world cup of soccer ( or something like that) was going on.

The second time was in Melborne Australia, I was watching a Anti-Globalisation protest, it was pretty peacful at first, songs and sloggans and you know the regular thing, then in a secaond all hell broke loose, some of the protestors had started up with the police, and what came next was pretty bad, mor ecops than I could count against even more protestors...holy crap!!!! I took a bit of pepper spray in that incident, but I got out of the melee in tacked.

The moral of these stories is, if you don't want to get involved, then don't be there, beacause it can go bad in seconds!!!!

**travelpunk** · 07-05-2003, 04:07 AM

Yeah, that happened to me in Madrid. A little side street crossed into a major intersection with protesters to the left and riot cops to the right. booyah! As soon as we crossed the streets, the police charged the protesters and all hell broke loose

Be prepared to get out of harms way- quickly! And hold on to your daypack and valuables as the horde comes your way. Thieves can use these moments of massive disarray to their advantage.

**crionnacht** · 07-05-2003, 09:40 AM

yep, even here the world cup created quite a scuffle. pubs were absolute mad houses. so i can't imagine what it was like in, say, england.

**Diorama** · 07-06-2003, 01:29 PM

yup and watch out for bar fights! I got in the middle of one and had a bruised arm for a week.

**Canadian Dude** · 07-06-2003, 09:46 PM

Bar fights can get bad very quick, you either get suckered, or you find out the police policy..."Arrest Now, Ask Questions Later!" or the other famous one, " Arrest now, And We Will Sort'm Out At The Station"...not really my idea of fun!!!

Magnifico · 10-03-2004, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Yeah, that happened to me in Madrid. A little side street crossed into a major intersection with protesters to the left and riot cops to the right. booyah! As soon as we crossed the streets, the police charged the protesters and all hell broke loose*

When were you in Madrid? Our group encountered a lot that were protesting, among other things, the local government's willingness to pander to tourists, and how harmful that was to the area. This would have been early July of this past summer ('04), not far, if I recall, from the Plaza del Sol. . .

**Somnambulation** · 10-03-2004, 05:03 PM

I ran into a little urban unrest in San Sebastian, Spain this past summer. Apparently the Spanish police arrested and killed a Basque seperatist leader and there was a protest march held in the city. I followed along with the march, curious about what was going to happen. They had a little vigil and people gave speeches and there was a lot of chanting and then the march resumed and ended on the main street. We were standing around thinking the excitment was over when these guys in masks on brought some bike racks up and started smashing windows out of storefronts. Then cars started getting attacked by the crowd and dumpsters were set on fire, and I was loving it. Then the police arrived in their strom trooper gear and the trouble makers ran off. We were pushed up against the side of a building by these guys and I put my hands up and offered no resistence. I would have gotten clocked by this guy if I had acted sketchy at all, Im sure of it. Soon they backed off and I stood around watching a little more but then things died down and I went to sleep. It was exciting though.

**TheWills** · 10-03-2004, 11:58 PM

those incidents would be exciting a friend of mine was in the middle of a riot between ecuador and peruvian soccer fans just a few months ago, he said it was hardcore. If ya find yourself in the middle wave too the copters over head screaming hi mom and then hightail it outta there

**Canadian Bacon** · 04-11-2005, 11:22 AM

Good advice, CD.
If you're gonna be near the protests, and are not involved, try not to smile at how "cool" everything is.
I remember when I was active in the anti-war movement, we hated those people who went to protests because it was "fun".

**Somnambulation** · 04-12-2005, 11:00 AM

But social unrest is cool, what can I say?

**The Monsignor** · 06-05-2005, 11:52 PM

Yeah, the bar-fight thing is a killer... I'm terrible for those...

I walked into one in New Orleans for Mardi Gras.... I wound up with 13 stitches in my upper lip, a nice scar, and a broken digital camera for my trouble...

My friends say the scar adds character to my face... like my face needed any more 'character'...

chelseafc05 · 10-21-2005, 12:17 AM

ahhhhhhh watching soccer hooligans.... priceless

insanediplomat · 10-25-2005, 05:22 AM

I just ran into one of those this past weekend (October 22) in Milan on my way to Switzerland. I guess a train was packed with demonstrators. This train pulls up into Milano Centrale and bang, chants begin with people getting off the train holding a red banner with a black skeletton on it. Cops were rushing from everywhere in riot gear.

I have no clue what i was all about as I quickly got on another train. Well,not quickly but withing five minutes.

chelseafc05 · 10-26-2005, 12:59 AM

buy the dvd "soccer hooligans" hilarious!!!!

there are some crazy people