Riot in Smichov - check the news

[x_maker]

Apparently early this morning - well, early morning here - something happened in Smichov in the Czech Republic, where they've built that wall around the mutant ghetto. They were letting some people pass through the barricades and there was "an incident", and somehow the military started opening fire. Newsfeeds are getting scattered reports of citizens versus soldiers in and out of the ghetto - have we heard ANYTHING from the Elpis folks that were heading out there? I've been watching what video's getting out of there, there hasn't been anything new in the past hour.

This is absolutely horrifying and why isn't the jet taking off yet?

Comments

[x-forge.livejournal.com]

If I were the Czech government, I wouldn't have walled in a ghetto trying to contain my own people out of fear and bigotry. The civil unrest isn't due to "suspected terrorist activity", it's due to TANKS firing on unarmed civilians! Why isn't anyone stepping in on this? The UN? NATO?

How high does the body count have to get before someone says to hell with what a corrupt government says and steps in?

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

You're talking about politicians, Forge. The good ones are already screaming at the top of their lungs and the bad ones will drag their feet for as long as possible.

If there was a way for us to do something, we wouldn't. But I've been reviewing what information we have and it's an impossible tactical situation. Any additional visible mutants are liable to be targets, not helpful.

[x-emplate.livejournal.com]

Dodgy political atmosphere I understand necessitating the notable lack of shiny public intervention, etc. and so on and so forth. What all is being done, then? (Apologies, I've not been too up on the situation aside from the minor exodus a bit past. There have been some distractions. And additionally half a semester's work piled upon me. As the aforementioned exodus has occurred, however, I assume there is something afoot.)

[x-siryn.livejournal.com]

The Red Cross is making up aid packages to ship over.

[x-emplate.livejournal.com]

Well yes, that is rather what they do. I'm not quite that out of touch with the hum-drum dealings of the universe.

[x-siryn.livejournal.com]

You asked what's being done. That's what's being done. I'm living in a half-hour.

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

If you watch the right news, you'll see certain of the Czech Republic's neighbors raising hell at the moment, too. Political pressure from other countries in the area might actually do some good.

[x-emplate.livejournal.com]

I was actually referring to that small contingent of our residents catching the live-show of the coverage. One assumes they had some rationale for visiting the sunny strife-torn Czech Republic. Or is theirs a Secret mission?

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

Not secret at all, actually. Elpis was invited to send an observer team into Smichov, along with a few other organization - the Red Cross being the big one. They were there to assess the situation.

[x-emplate.livejournal.com]

Assess? Can you be more specific? That sounds rather ominous.

[x-forge.livejournal.com]

Marius, you've just given me an idea. Head on down to my room, I'm going to need to mooch off some of your people-skills for this.

[x-emplate.livejournal.com]

Well. Just so long as it's not tonight. I think I've run through my allotted quota, which is quite surprising as I did not believe I had one. Apparently pleasantries, much like my bank account, are now finite.

Though I could do with the distraction. And the separation from the keyboard.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

So you will stand back and do nothing?

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

It's a case where our presence will likely endanger more people. We can't save everyone.

That being said, it's easier to beg pardon and that's what should have been done in this case.

[x-bamf.livejournal.com]

What should have been done by who? I am not sure I quite understand.

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

We asked if we could go in.

We should have just gone. Instead we're stuck watching.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

It's a case where our presence will likely endanger more people. We can't save everyone.

Well, obviously I know that.

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

There's nothing that we can do, Julio. The team doesn't do anyone any good if the Blackbird gets shot down trying to land in Prague, or the Czech army comes after us because they think we're terrorists.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

So do not use the plane or the uniforms. Find a way. You are telling me you will stand back and let people die simply because you are afraid of an "international incident"?

Would you have hesitated in July, had it taken place somewhere that was not in the United States, for fear of an "international incident"?

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

Julio, this is happening in a neighborhood that has been completely enclosed by a wall. That wall, up until this morning, was being guarded by a substantial portion of the army of the Czech Republic, which is not some pissant Third-World military that a stealth jet and some clever manuevering could get around.

I do not see any way that any mutants, X-Men or not, uniforms or not, could have gotten in there without declaring war on the Czech Republic. How do you think that would have helped the situation, when they did this because they were afraid of mutants?

[x-ccelerate.livejournal.com]

How high does the body count have to get before someone says to hell with what a corrupt government says and steps in?

Considering who that someone might be, I'm hoping that question stays rhetorical.

[x-forge.livejournal.com]

As much as I hate to find myself agreeing with you - yeah, that would be bad.

[x-pressive.livejournal.com]

How high does the body count have to get before someone says to hell with what a corrupt government says and steps in?

Time to stop acting like humans to "astonish" them or whatever and start acting like Americans: unilaterally!

[x-forge.livejournal.com]

Are you high right now? Like, right this moment?

[x-pressive.livejournal.com]

Right now right now? It's too early in the day for that, and it's the middle of the week. That's more of a midnight on a weekend activity.