x_maker: (Concerned)
John Henry Forge ([personal profile] x_maker) wrote2006-11-07 09:42 am

Riot in Smichov - check the news

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?

[identity profile] x-aerial.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I will attempt to contact my sister to find out what she can tell me.

[identity profile] x-storm.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 05:25 pm (UTC)(link)
This is absolutely horrifying and why isn't the jet taking off yet?

The Czech government gave us a 'thank you but no thank you' in response to our offer of assistance. We are not welcome there at this time and our involvement would likely only escalate things more.

So we must sit here and watch things unfold on the news. If anybody needs me, I will be in the greenhouse with a radio and a pair of pruning shears.

[identity profile] x-forge.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
So we sit around and watch a massacre on the news because some politician whose bad policy CAUSED this mess gets to sit back and just say "no"?

[identity profile] x-cyclops.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 07:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Forge, if the team went at this stage, without the okay of the local government, they'd just be more 'dangerous mutants' running around drawing fire. If you're the Czechs and have massive civil unrest stemming from suspected terrorist activity, how are you going to react to a bunch of foreign mutants in black leather inviting themselves into the situation?

[identity profile] x-forge.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
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?

[identity profile] x-aerial.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 07:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Just out of curiousity... why do you wear the black leather outfits? Who chose black leather and why?

[identity profile] x-cyclops.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 07:30 pm (UTC)(link)
An old friend of the professor. And really, the leather is just a good, tough covering for the body armor.

[identity profile] x-forge.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
I have some possible improvements to that, by the way, that I want to test at some point with some volunteers...

[identity profile] x-cyclops.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
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.

[identity profile] x-aerial.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 07:47 pm (UTC)(link)
I see.

[identity profile] x-ccelerate.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
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.

[identity profile] x-forge.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
As much as I hate to find myself agreeing with you - yeah, that would be bad.

[identity profile] x-pressive.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
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!

[identity profile] x-forge.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Are you high right now? Like, right this moment?

[identity profile] x-pressive.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)
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.

[identity profile] x-emplate.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)
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.)

[identity profile] x-polarisstar.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Because straight metal is uncomfortable.

I mean, personally. I can't stand the leather.

[identity profile] x-siryn.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 10:13 pm (UTC)(link)
The Red Cross is making up aid packages to ship over.

[identity profile] x-cyclops.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
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.

[identity profile] x-emplate.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 10:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Well yes, that is rather what they do. I'm not quite that out of touch with the hum-drum dealings of the universe.

[identity profile] x-siryn.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 10:22 pm (UTC)(link)
You asked what's being done. That's what's being done. I'm living in a half-hour.

[identity profile] x-emplate.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 10:24 pm (UTC)(link)
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?

[identity profile] x-cyclops.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)
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.

[identity profile] x-emplate.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Assess? Can you be more specific? That sounds rather ominous.

[identity profile] x-cyclops.livejournal.com 2006-11-07 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
From a humanitarian standpoint, Marius. Nothing ominous.

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