It's very difficult to know what to say.

Sometime in late Sept 2001 a dear friend who then lived in Battery Park City said to me that a city was ... I don't remember her exact words, and mine will be worse, less real, more theoretical.

But, roughly, that a city was the visible sign and symbol of the best of civilisation, a living breathing thing, a sign of our ability to get past our natural fears and suspicions and agree to live and work together, and that to hurt a city was to hurt all of that.

I believe this. I have never had survivalist tendencies, nor any interest in outliving my society. I have always said that when the End comes, if it does, I intend to die in downtown Ottawa, handing out water bottles and bandaids and whatever else we collectively still have to help each other with.

That said, this is not an "oh those dirty rioters" post. I am a pacifist. I am committed, knowing how improbable this sounds, to ending violence and the causes of violence.

In one NBC report, a young man in Tottenham was asked if rioting really achieved anything:

"Yes," said the young man. "You wouldn't be talking to me now if we didn't riot, would you?"

"Two months ago we marched to Scotland Yard, more than 2,000 of us, all blacks, and it was peaceful and calm and you know what? Not a word in the press. Last night a bit of rioting and looting and look around you."

Telling people to work within the system isn't bad, as such. Telling people to work within the system while you are implacably thrusting them and their concerns OUT of said system, dividing forms of political action into a) those useful only to those who already have considerable power b) those which will be ignored c) those which will be criminalised ...

Democracy, friends. What did they THINK it was made out of?