This post has been cross posted on Harry's Place
The recent nasty attacks on Muslim students at City University in South Islington have attracted much attention (some of it very knee jerk, see here for how the Trots got it wrong as usual).
The area of the university is surrounded on East and West by a large area of council estates which have had other trouble recently, for example there have been attacks on the new Islington museum which is situated in the library about 200 yards from the uni.
VANDALS have caused £15,000 worth of damage to Islington Museum - and a row has broken out over who is to blame.
The glass door and entrance panels to the museum, which is housed in the basement of Finsbury Library, in St John Street, have been smashed in recent weeks.
There are reports that kids as young as 10 are behind the attacks - but the Finsbury Estate Tenants' and Residents' Association (FETRA) says Islington Council is to blame for failing to listen to them when the proposals to create the entrance were up for discussion.
Sharron Kelly, chairwoman of the FETRA and a resident of Patrick Coman House, said: "It gives me no satisfaction at all to say - we told them so.
Fetra says residents predicted the proposals would create an attractive hangout space for young people, resulting in anti-social behaviour, noise nuisance and vandalism and added risk to the security of their homes.
Fetra even organised a petition against the council's plans, which was signed by 70 per cent of Patrick Coman House residents and 60 per cent of the whole estate. But Councillor Allan said: "It would be nice if Fetra concentrated on helping to identify the victims, rather than attacking the council."
This article brings up all sorts of issues. The residents seem to have no interest in supporting the cultural benefits of the museum or taking any responsibity for the actions of the kids who are vandalising. What do they want - the police and council to do all the child care ? Perhaps we should have curfews on such estates - would that be acceptable ?
This kind of situation is a real problem for Leftists, we are told we should bring more facilities to poor estates but what happens if the young residents are still just interested in running around in gangs and destroying facilities ? Perhaps only strong police action can work short term but then there is the issue above re the cooperation of the locals.
All very depressing.
UPDATE :
Here are some snaps of the offending "glass wall" at Islington Museum:
Museum Entrance (steps down)
"Glass Wall" from the side
View from across St John St
From City Uni main entrance
2 comments:
"The residents seem to have no interest in supporting the cultural benefits of the museum or taking any responsibity for the actions of the kids who are vandalising. What do they want - the police and council to do all the child care ?"
This is strangely sweeping? Because some people, who you think might be one or more of the residents, has vandalised the museum, that tells you about "the residents" as a group?
James my main point is the attitude of the residents association which IMO is pretty disturbing.
If you read the HP comments from other people who live in the area (esp from "JJ" and "mettaculture") you'll see some pretty jaw dropping stuff about the area and the attitude of the locals.
We need to stop excusing such attitudes full stop.
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