Riots In UK Called The Worst In More Than Two Decades

Riots Reportedly “The Worst Bout Of Urban Violence To Hit Britain In More Than Two Decades.” An August 8 article in The Washington Post reported:

In the worst bout of urban violence to hit Britain in more than two decades, parts of London morphed into lawless no man's lands.

[...]

Gangs of youths roamed one south London neighborhood while carrying molotov cocktails, the BBC reported. And widespread looting was reported in the west London borough of Ealing after a shopping mall caught fire.

The violence spread beyond the capital, to Birmingham, the country's second-largest city, as well as Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds and Nottingham.

Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a vacation to Italy and was returning to London overnight to chair an emergency cabinet meeting to handle the mounting crisis. Overwhelmed by the scope of the violence, the embattled Metropolitan Police called in reinforcements from police forces outside London. [The Washington Post, 8/8/11]

Right-Wing Media Use Riots To Fearmonger That Similar Violence Will Happen In U.S. And To Attack The Left

Beck: Democrats' Choices For Supercommittee On Debt Are Intended To Bring London-Style Riots To U.S. During the August 10 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' Glenn Beck Program, Glenn Beck stated:

BECK: They put a supercommittee together. The Republicans and the Democrats have to come together with the supercommittee who has the -- who have the Democrats put on the supercommittee? John Kerry, who's warning the media that you'd better not tell both sides of the story. Max Baucus from Montana. And of course, what's-her-name Murray -- Patty Murray from Washington. All three, huge, huge on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid.

Let me go back again to Jan Schakowsky. If we're not going to cut taxes, they're laying the groundwork now. If we're not going to raise taxes on the millionaires and create these jobs and instead go after Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, if we do that and that doesn't get people out on the streets, I don't know what will. They are intentionally going for this to make this the case, to get the American people out on the streets, and I'm telling you now: It will be London, it will be Greece, it is coming. They've sown all the seeds they need to. It's a matter of time." [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 8/10/11]

Limbaugh: London Rioters “Are The Equivalent Of Obama Voters.” During the August 9 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show, Rush Limbaugh said that the London rioters “are the equivalent of Obama voters in the United States.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 8/9/11, via Media Matters]

Cavuto Hosts Heritage Foundation's Gardner To Claim That “The Left” In U.K. And U.S. Have “Justified Acts Of Sheer Anarchy.” During the August 9 edition of Fox News' Your World, Neil Cavuto hosted Nile Gardiner of the Heritage Foundation to discuss the riots in England. During the segment, Gardiner claimed: “Let's face it, the left is continually trying to find excuses for violent criminal behavior. We're seeing that today in the United Kingdom, we've seen it across Europe, and we're even seeing it in the United States as well, where the left has justified acts of sheer anarchy in the past.” [Fox News, Your World, 8/9/11, via Media Matters]

Hoft: “What A Complete Shock. The Far Left Is Cheering On The Rioters In London.” In an August 9 Gateway Pundit post titled, “Stunner. Far Left Cheers On Mob Violence in London,” Jim Hoft wrote: “What a complete shock. The far left is cheering on the rioters in London.” [Gateway Pundit, 8/9/11]

Discussing London Riots, Hannity Asks If Riots Will Happen In U.S. “In Maybe 10 Years.” During a discussion on the August 9 edition of Fox News' Hannity, conservative commentator Mark Steyn said to host Sean Hannity: “People who think the very unique peace and prosperity that Americans have enjoyed in the last 50 or 60 years is a permanent condition of life [are] deluded. The downgrade is the beginning of it; the riots we see in London are the next stage in the process.” Hannity asked, “Maybe 10 years down the road?” to which Steyn replied, “Well, I think it'll be quicker than 10 years.” [Fox News, Hannity, 8/9/11, via Media Matters]

Fox Contributor Ralph Peters On London Riots: “It's Going To Get Nasty Here, Too.” During the August 9 edition of Fox Business' America's Nightly Scoreboard, Fox News contributor Ralph Peters said of the London riots: “The left imbued [rioters] with a rich sense of entitlement. ... So, this is getting nasty, and it's going to get nasty here, too.” [Fox Business, America's Nightly Scoreboard, 7/28/11, via Media Matters]

Right-Wing Media -- Led By Glenn Beck -- Have Previously Used Riots In Greece To Fearmonger And Attack The Left

Beck: “I Told You Unrest Was Coming To Europe And Then It's Coming Here.” From the December 8, 2010, edition of Glenn Beck:

BECK: Showing you for a year in advance -- a year in advance, I told you unrest was coming to Europe and then it's coming here. I have shown you now in the last few a months the actual unrest and violence in the street of Europe.

Again, today in Greece, the unions shut down public transportation. Who did I tell you would go that? The unions. Students are taking to the street in England over possible tuition hikes. I told you that would happen a year ago.

We showed you the burning cars. We've showed you how they are mirroring the failed economic policies here in America. I'm a paranoid lunatic, seditious. This must be suffocating paranoia.

Now, let me ask you this -- are they willing now to say the same thing about the Pentagon? Because they have been war-gaming an economic crisis for almost two years now. One of these war games was called Unified Quest 2011. [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 12/8/10, via Media Matters]

Beck Warned That High Unemployment Will Lead To “The Riots In Greece.” From the September 15, 2010, edition of Glenn Beck:

BECK: I want to show a chart showing the duration of unemployment in the U.S. And this is not the fearmongering Glenn Beck saying this. These are figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Now, we've already had a glimpse of what happens when you've got unemployment and you have people saying, no -- no, you can't have pensions that you were promised because you were played by these guys. What happens? Well, you have the riots in Greece. [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 9/15/10, via Media Matters]

Beck: “What You Saw On The Streets Of Greece, You're Seeing Over A Hockey Game In Vancouver. We're Completely Untethered. ... A Storm Is Coming.” During the June 17 edition of his radio program, Beck said: “What you saw on the streets of Greece, you're seeing over a hockey game in Vancouver. We're completely untethered. Tie yourself down. A storm is coming. Tie yourself down.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Glenn Beck Program, 6/17/11, via Media Matters]

• For more on Beck's fearmongering over riots in Greece, SEE HERE.

Hannity: U.S. Is “On A Path To Becoming Greece. The Country's Going To Burn.” During the July 27 edition of Fox News' Hannity, host Sean Hannity stated: “We are going to have $25 trillion in debt. That puts us on a path to becoming Greece. The country's going to burn.” [Fox News, Hannity, 7/27/11, via Media Matters]

Cavuto: “I Am Telling You: Greece Is Coming Here.” During the June 1 edition of his Fox Business program, Neil Cavuto said:

CAVUTO: We fix our sights on Greece, because I am telling you: Greece is coming here. Angry workers there were told the government gravy train is over, time to cutback. Angry state workers here protesting the same message and not all inclined to cut anything back. Now, it's been less violent so far here, but I am fixing to tell you: Fix your sights on Europe, because all that is coming here." [Fox Business, Cavuto On Business, 6/1/11, via Media Matters]

On Fox, Obenshain Used Riots In Greece To Attack Wisconsin Union Protesters. On the February 16 edition of Fox News' Hannity, Republican strategist Kate Obenshain stated: “We see something that's going on, say, in Wisconsin, where they have the rallies for the teachers, where teachers are yanking kids out of the classrooms and calling in sick -- totally lying -- which is reminiscent of Greece and England.” [Fox News' Hannity, 2/16/11, via Media Matters]