Beyond Rivalry

It's been almost a month  since I last blogged about mob violence, which continues to continue. Below are some of the latest incidents reported, and some commentary on the phenomenon by others. (And here's why I'm doing it.)

19 July, Croydon, London, UK, Policeman attacked by gang of children after issuing litter warning: "A police officer was kicked, beaten and bitten when he was attacked by a gang of children, some still in their school uniforms, when he asked a girl to pick up litter she had dropped." He was "pulled to the ground during the assault by the group of up to 30 children and adults in the incident. '[The girl] just threw litter on the floor and we asked if she could pick that up. ... As we walked away, she threw it at us. Then we went back to talk to her. They swarmed at the start.'" [S]everal older men and women joined the fracas." The parents of an arrested 15-year-old girl "complained that the start of her summer holiday had been disrupted." One inspector said, "'While we would never use the word "mob", which is an inflammatory word, we can confirm that witnesses have described their initial fear that officers were going to be seriously injured or killed.'"

25 July, Tanzania, Africa, Mob justice claims three in Rukwa: "Three people suspected to be thieves were stoned to death and their bodies burnt beyond recognition by angry mobs in separate incidents on Sunday and nobody has been arrested for the crime so far." They were lynched "after they were caught with 25 head of cattle and a donkey stolen from Leonard Mandela (26)." They were also accused of stealing maize. "The suspects were also armed and they tried to stage a fight but were later over-powered, had their legs and hands tied before they were stoned to death. The criminals later disappeared from the scene after murdering the suspects but the RPC warned that in future the whole village would risk being charged with murder in case people continue to take law into their own hands."

26 July, Ghaziabad, India: In riot, a story of hope: "At least 30 people were injured in a violent clash between members of two communities. But when an angry mob descended on a group of policemen, [Abdul] Ghaffur [age 60] did not flinch as he gave them shelter in his three-bedroom, single storey home. ... Ghaffur today told Newsline, 'I have realised that a mob does not have any religion, for harming any innocent is not what religion teaches. I became more determined to save those who have taken shelter in my house. Sitting in his ransacked house, Ghaffur said: 'The 12 policemen ran for their lives and knocked on my door when surrounded by some 200 people. My whole family was inside (but) I could not turn them away.' Despite threats from the mob, by then gathered outside his house in numbers, Ghaffur did not open the door. 'They warned us with dire consequences unless we let the policemen out,' Ghaffur’s son Riyaaz said. 'When we refused, they took away all money and jewellery we had saved for my sister Nargis’s wedding.'" The violence apparently erupted "when police tried to prevent illegal construction on land belonging to the Land Management Committee." 10 people were injured, some by gunfire.

31 July, Shendandoah, PA, USA: Town struggles with fallout from immigrant's fatal beating: Illegal Mexican immigrant Luis Ramirez, 25, was attacked with such force that the blows left "a clotted, bruised impression of Jesus Christ on the skin of his chest from the religious medal he wore. His attackers were white teenagers, including star students and football players, witnesses told police. After a night of drinking, the teens taunted the undocumented worker with racial epithets, pummeled him to the ground and then kicked him in the head, court documents charge. He died in a hospital two days later." Two weeks later, two teens who are said to have delivered the fatal blows were arrested and charged as adults with homicide and ethnic intimidation.

"Defense attorneys for two of the teens say Ramirez responded to the name-calling with his own insults, which escalated the confrontation into a fight that got out of hand." One defense attorney, Fanelli, "said he plans to investigate whether Ramirez has a criminal background. He also questions why the engaged father of three was walking on the street with the girl, and the nature of their relationship. ... Residents question whether the attack was racially motivated or just an alcohol-fueled confrontation among kids. 'You would be proud to have any of these kids in your classroom, and any of them as your children,' said Fanelli."

31 July, Oxford, England, UK, Girl gang attacks 14-year-old: "A young foreign student was viciously attacked by a gang of girls in Oxford. [She] was approached by six white teenage girls as she sat on the steps outside The Queen's College in the High Street. One of them started swearing and shouting at the victim and then walked over to her and punched her several times in the face, causing an injury to her eye." She received hospital treatment. "The main offender of the group is aged around 16, skinny, 5ft 6ins, with bleached blonde hair, which was tied back. She was wearing a black tank top. It is believed the young girls, who were wearing dark clothing, were under the influence of alcohol."

1 Aug, Halifax, England, UK, Gang attack teen who asked for his ball back: "A 16-year-old boy was attacked by a gang of six youths in a busy park when he asked them for his football back. Four teenagers, thought to be around 17 or 18 years old, took the sixth-former's ball and refused to give it back. Then two other thugs joined them and they beat him up." His mother said, "'They just set upon him. They must have thought he was an easy target. One of him and four of them. Two others joined in afterwards.' ... She added that despite the park being full of people lapping up the sun only one woman intervened."

11 Aug., Kilifi, Kenya, Africa, In Kilifi, the elderly are endangered: "It is almost a crime to grow old in some parts of the country, and the 'victims' are labelled witches -- for which they are liable to suffer mob-justice or other forms of maltreatment.  Sporting white hair is also a crime that is linked to 'evil' practices. ... Mzee Katana Kasena, 78, lives under constant threat of lynching over claims that he is a witch. At his Miwaleni village, Mwanamwinga location in Kaloleni District, aged people like him who have grey hairs, dress shabbily and live in makuti structures are labelled witches. 'These claims are not true .... This is the work of my close relatives who are out to kill me so that they can grab my farm.'" ...

"In Kilifi it is claimed that family members collude to kill their ageing parents, grandparents and uncles, accusing them of bewitching them. ... Police in Kilifi estimate that 90 per cent of the deaths of elderly people in the area are a result of murder. ... The police boss recalls a case three weeks ago where an old man was slashed with pangas and his body left in a pool of blood. Villagers discovered the body of 75-year-old Katana Kalama 20 metres from his Maweni Bofa village and reported the discovery to police. ... 'Preliminary police investigations have revealed that the death of the old man had been organised by people who suspected him to be a wizard.'"

11 Aug, Bermuda, College-bound student murdered: "An 18-year-old man was murdered after trouble kicked off at a late-night party at Elbow Beach on Saturday. Six male teenagers were last night in custody following the stabbing of Kellon Hill.  ... A group of young men set upon Mr. Hill and attempted to steal his gold chain, according to sources. One told The Royal Gazette it is thought he defended himself and was killed in the resulting struggle. ... Detectives say about 75 people were present at the time of the incident, but so far they have only spoken to three or four. ... The victim is thought to have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time when they pounced on him. ... The perpetrators are thought to be gang members, although Mr. Hill is said to have had no gang affiliations and yesterday Police said there was no evidence to say the incident was a 'town versus country' fight."

11 Aug, Brisbane, Australia, Bashed koala found dumped in bin: "Wildlife officers were called to a park at Kallangur on Friday night after a koala was attacked by a group of teenagers. Residents reported a group of teenagers were throwing sticks and rocks at a koala. Hospital spokeswoman Anika Lehmann says the koala and her joey were rescued. But wildlife officers found the body of another koala in a garbage bin. 'It had a crushed skull, a punctured left eye, big trauma to the left side of its body, it had a broken right arm and when I asked the vet is this consistent with clubbing or bashing or whatever they said, yes.' ... Ms. Lehmann says it is one of the worst cases of animal cruelty she has seen."

15 Aug, Soweto, South Africa, Fear of 'orphans' in stonings: "The stoning to death of three suspected criminals on Wednesday in Ntuzuma township has brought to six the number of people killed in what appears to be incidents linked to mob justice." It's believed by residents that the recent victims are members of a group of criminals active in the early 1990s, which calls itself izintandane (orphans); "the 1990s gang had justified their actions claiming to be orphans who had lost their parents during the liberation struggle. ... Communities claim police have failed to deal with the matter of the 'orphans' until they [the communities] took the decision to kill them."

18 Aug, Portland ME, US, Motive unclear in East Bayside attack: "Portland police are trying to piece together the events that led to a fatal attack on a transient man. ... Around 1:40 a.m. Saturday, a group of young males chased 37-year-old Frank Williams III across a soccer field adjacent to the Kennedy Park housing project and attacked him until he crawled under a fence, according to police. Williams, who had been stabbed at least once during the attack, died soon after being taken to Maine Medical Center. ... The motive remains unclear, but police said the attack on Williams, who was known to them, may have involved drugs. The investigation remains in its early stages, but the attack does not seem to have been racially motivated or gang-related. ... Police said the assailants were a group of eight males that included whites, blacks and Asians and ranged in age from under 16 to mid-20s. Williams was white. ...

"Attacks on people who are homeless have become more common in recent years, said Donna Yellen, community initiatives and advocacy coordinator at the Preble Street Resource Center. ... 'Morning after morning at breakfast soup kitchens, we'd see guys with black eyes, cuts. They would have various stories about being assaulted for no other reason than they were homeless.'"

18 Aug, New Delhi, India, Locals lynch criminal: "In a probable case of mob justice, a 27-year-old criminal of Khajoori Khas area in north-east district died after three people severely beat him up on Sunday around 6 pm. ... Police said the victim, Dipender alias Deepu, was a bad character of the area and allegedly involved in several criminal cases. On Saturday, Dipender misbehaved with a girl in his neighbourhood. When she protested, he abused her and threatened her inside her house. ... On Sunday, the girl complained to her family after which an altercation took place between Dipender and the family members. Soon, some locals of the area also gathered and they started beating Dipender mercilessly. Two members of the family, Anatpal and Hari Singh took out a stick and hit Dipender on his head and he slumped on the road." Others may have been involved in the beating.