Avoid London Fields tonight - bike thiefs about

A few reports tonight via Twitter.

And yes that should read 'thieves'

The thing on twitter seems to be the same tweet RT many times. So, is it true or a rumour?

I did feel totally freaked out cycling through the Mare Street mob at 6pm, thinking "bike jacking, bike jacking ... and can't cycle fast as the streets are all jammed with trouble makers and road blocks".

It was the first time in my life I felt glad to get onto Homerton High Road.

Yes it is true
happen at 8pm for me when a goon come out of nowhere and stopped me and punched me off my bike

Please stay away ! ! !

oh no, sympathies^

fuck this is insane

I'm moving to Hackney on Saturday. :/

Yes it is true
happen at 8pm for me when a goon come out of nowhere and stopped me and punched me off my bike

Please stay away ! ! !

Hope you are okay xxx

Yes it is true
happen at 8pm for me when a goon come out of nowhere and stopped me and punched me off my bike

Please stay away ! ! !

Oh christ... really hope its nothing worse than a black eye. Sorry about your bike too....
:(

Yes it is true
happen at 8pm for me when a goon come out of nowhere and stopped me and punched me off my bike

Please stay away ! ! !

shit stylist, sorry to hear that. hope you're ok

Dude, nasty.

my end of hackney is pretty quiet i guess all the kids are over mare st. i havent seen a hoody all day !
isnt it ironic the very store that supplies them with hooded apparel is being targeted for i guess grey hooded tops ..........

Yes it is true
happen at 8pm for me when a goon come out of nowhere and stopped me and punched me off my bike

Please stay away ! ! !

Horrible! Really sorry to hear this happened to you.

A guy I know had his bike stolen from London fields today, I think I would just stay off the streets completely atm.

Happened to a friend of mine as well.

Twitter says police had a fight with rioters in Gillet Square, Dalston and smashed their bikes. Were these "their" bikes, or bikes they jacked in London Fields?

Hmmmm

11.54pm: Hackney – worrying account from the Guardian's Jason Rodrigues, who has just been accosted by youths on his way home:

I've just returned from Hackney riots and was ambushed just off Essex Road and had my bike snatched by a group of six masked teenagers waiting on Ecclesbourne Road who were shouting "take the bike, take the bike".

I was forced to swerve away from them but crashed to the ground. Just as one of the thieves grabbed my bike from under me a red van raced screeched around the corner and smashed into a parked car. Two young men then got out and the man in passenger seat then put his hand in his pocket and threatened to pull a on knife on the thieves, accusing them of stealing his bike earlier.

A violent scuffle broke out and the thieves gave up the stolen bikes. Everyone seemed to walk away from the incident, but criminal minded local youths seem to be taking advantage of the lack of police presence due to trouble elsewhere.

and

11.59pm: My colleague Mustafa Khalili is in Camden. He is tweeting from the area and describes "tense" scenes:
• Evans cycles chalk farm rd being looted 50 youths no police #londonriots #chalkfarm

from here

I was outside my sister's boyfriend gold shop on Mare st and tried stopping the youths and got punched on my head. Also threaten with a brick at their uncles cash exchange opposite minutes before.

Disgusting animals are out to steal and even saw a kid run from muggers.

I called them to let them know of the issues and 8 of us in total came over.

We camped outside the shops with a car blocking the shops until metal shutter people came over. They got through and stole quite a bit at the front of both shops.

Expecting it to get done again today tbh but stock taken out.

The police were too stretched and the goths are in numbers of hundreds.

Turks and Kurds in Dlaston/ Stoke Newington shop owners are armed with knives, dogs etc and protecting their shops.

Mate of mine got mugged for his bike last night in Hackney. He's gutted, but not injured, nothing else nicked.

Depressing. All of it. Stay safe.

That video of an injured boy being mugged makes me feel sick to the stomach.
I don't think you can go any lower than that.

I still refuse to be scared from riding to work.
Not going to let them win.

Well done for getting in there, MinhDinh. I hope the punch wasn't too bad! I'm glad that you managed to defend the shops to an extent. But what about tonight?

Hey Oliver, we cleared the shops and got shutter people in to weld properly, fit new windows and also to add some bolt locks.

We are going to order a full set of windows, the super glass kind that ladbrookes had. That didn't break.

If the shop gets done, then it gets done.

Rumours are that houses are getting done so I am home and armed. With a few things.

I am a realistic to pessimistic guy and am prepared for whatever happens. This is my home and not a shop and I will defend it until whatever happens.

Oh and no injury bar a tiny little scratch on my leg.

I didn't cycle to work yesterday as I was worried about cycling back through hackney and specifically London fields last night. I refuse to let the thugs win, I love my cycle to work, and I'm too tight/skint at the min to pay for the bus any longer.. haha. I cycled to work today so hopefully it will all remain quiet.