| From: | Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | L-V: Redmond |
| Date: | Sun, 26 Apr 1998 04:33:59 +0100 |
++++++Include S.C.N.T.21 NewsFeed
Windows smashed, small stores ablaze, looters run arms filled with goods
from wrecked stores. Steel shutters and metal lace barriers ripped from
windows, cars overturned and torched. Police barricades and officers in
full riot armour line the street, surrounded by protesters on two sides,
each group hurling bottles, pieces of metal, stones, bricks, anything
that comes to hand. Firefighters courageously battle fires almost out
of control, under a hail of projectiles from the protesters. Screams
and howls of rage and pain echo around the streets. The flickering
light of other fires plays a terrible light on the walls of buildings in
the sidestreets. Helicopters and other aerial craft fly overhead,
sirens and lights adding their own cacophany to the hellish scene
"...this previously peaceful protest march has erupted into some of the
worst violence I have seen in my years as a reporter. There are rumours
everywhere as to how it started. Some blame the Police, saying they
opened fire on the crowds, others claim it was the second counter march
from metahuman activists and sympathisers, others state that it was as a
result of demons appearing amongst the anti-Meta marchers. I was
informed by one eyewitness that three men leapt from the roof of a
nearby building, and began to attack the protesters with a vareity of
weapons, including magic. Magic. Something none of these people had
any defence against, nor could they have predicted it's use. If this is
true, then it seems reasonable that the marchers have reacted in this
manner. And may possibly fuel the argument for restrictions on mages.
The uncontrolled employment of powerful arcane powers in this setting is
unbelievably irresponsible, and if true, must have been planned by meta
human sympathisers to gain the greatest effect possible on the crowded
streets.
"All that /is/ clear is that there are a considerable number of injured,
and dead, some of the injured critical from headwounds received in the
fighting, others have died from some of the worst injuries I've ever
witnessed.
<signal lost>
"I personally have heard gunfire, though it's unclear whether it is from
the Police lines, or the rioting citizens. There is no doubt that
racist tension has played a massive hand in the present situation, but
the extent of the violence is staggering. Earlier the march was
peaceful, normal protest type walkabout heading for city hall. The
second march, organised by groups in opposition to the anti meta
sentiments broadcast by the first group of protesters met here both
coming from opposite directions.
"There was at the time no question of violence erupting. The Police
line kept the two sides apart, and a pseudo debate started between the
leaders of the two sides. One man, who has remained unidentified
employed a megaphone on the pro-meta side of the Police line, and began
harranguing the marchers on the anti-meta side. Somebody from this
march allegedly climbed on top of a van and began his own rhetoric. I
can only relate this from witnesses, as I was out of sight of the events
as they happened.
"Apparently, it was at this point, that three dark cloaked figures
appeared amidst the marchers, slaughtering people as though they were in
a butchers shop. Exotic martial arts weapons were employed, and the
injuries sustained by some of the marchers seem to bear this statement
out. It appears that the pro-meta activists hired a few "breakers" as
they're called here in the barrens. People specifically hired to break
up marches and rallies by using extreme violence to scare people away
from events. I don't know how many people died from the first attack,
but I definately heard an explosion prior to the riot.
<data error 1.1mp lost>
"The situation worsened considerably as people began to panic and tried
to get away from the central core of violence. Others reacted in kind,
attacking who they thought to be the enemy, others turning their anger
and fear on the other rally and the Police.
"Reinforcements arrived in very rapid time, indicating that Lone Star
had expected some trouble tonight, and a riot line was formed across the
square and two streets. There has been a running battle since. As I
mentioned earlier shots have been fired, and I am reliably informed that
automatic weapons have been employed /against/ the Police lines, and
that several casualties have resulted."
The camera pans around the street showing scenes of unbelievable
intensity. Groups of youths hurling objects at the police lines, two
with gas launchers, firing canisters back at the Police, who appear to
be using combinations of stun and tear gas. Those without breathing
masks are suffering terribly from the effects of the gas. Bodies lie
unattended in the streets, some bleeding profusely from head and facial
wounds. Over it all, a strange ululation, similar to that of an angry
beast echoes around the streets, the sound of hate.
<signal interrupted>
Further up the street, two heavy lines of armoured Lone Star officers
cross the square, blocking it. Similar clouds of smoke and gas billow
up from the far side of the Police lines, indicating that a battle rages
there too. The savagery of the youths on the street is astounding. The
ferocity with which missiles are hurled at the Police lines betrays the
intense emotions beneath this situation.
Ambulance crews, wearing a similar armour to the LS Officers bravely
face the barrage of missiles and attempt to retrieve some of the wounded
from the streets. Each sortie from the medical crews accompanied by a
barrage of rubber bullets and gas from Lone Star.
"So far as I can tell, Lone Star are still attempting to employ non-
lethal measures to bring this riot under control, presumably they are
considering the use of deadly force to be a last ditch measure -
obviously aware that the employment of such measures may well turn this
part of the city into a war-zone. Though to my eyes at least, it has
already become such.
During the monologue, the camera has been searching the streets, zooming
in on groups of people involved in the battle with Police, focusing on
the injured on the streets, the violence completely indiscriminate in
it's choice of victims. It appears from the debris that people actually
brought their families on the march, the occassional childs toy is seen
laying lost and alone in the rubble strewn street.
<signal lost>
An explosion rocks the street dust falling from buildings, debris
clattering into the road close to the Lone Star barricades.
The camera-man ducks hard, the camera impacting on the concrete and
hazing the picture momentarily. A dull roar can be heard over the
anchor's frantic chattering.
"Shit! What was that..."
"A fucking bomb. Christ someone's got explosives up here."
"Where was it?"
"Dunno - near the Police lines."
"Frank are you OK," A hand appears in front of the camera thumb up.
"Thank all that's holy for that. Ladies and gentlemen, that sound you
heard was an explosion. I'm told by my sound crew that it is possible
that someone has set off a bomb. It was too deep to have been a grenade
or fuel tank."
Frank, the cameraman sticks his head over the top of the sidewalk,
camera tracking the street looking for some indication as to where the
explosion took place. Smoke, flames and scattered bodies near the
police lines.
"I can see it. It appears that someone has attacked the Police with
more than rocks and petrol bombs. Frank, can you make out what that
is?" The camera zooms in to the police lines, a vehicle burning
furiously, thick smoke billowing from it's shattered body. Injured
officers roll on the ground, mouths open, calling for help; their
comrades momentarily stunned and disorientated. The vehicle, drivers
door hanging on a single hinge appears to have been an ambulance. A
streak of smoke from somewhere above, and a second explosion rocks the
street, rubble and body parts thrown into the air in a sheet of flame.
"That was a missile! Someone is using a a rocket launcher, the streak
of smoke <where'd it come from...?> originated from somewhere above
us." The camera angle changes dramatically as Frank attempts to get a
shot of the sniper. "Sporadic gunfire, growing in intensity can be
heard from the middle distance. Secondary, smaller explosions and
flashes appear to be coming from the far side of the Police Line.
"I believe that someone has taken this conflict a stage further." The
camera swings down momentarily, catching the youths who earlier had been
hurling missiles at the police, standing in stunned amazement staring at
the Police Lines. A very few have the presence of mind to scatter.
Gunfire erupts above, and Frank, now further out on the street, swings
the camera up towards the roof again. A Lone Star chopper, door gun
churning a furious hail of bullets into the top of a building hovers a
short distance away. Sparks from the armour indicating that someone is
firing back. The chopper pilot banks away, protecting his gunner. A
massive pillar of flame erupts from the roof top. Two bodies hurtling
far out over the street, before plummeting to the ground. The sickening
crunch of their bodies hitting clear across the microphone.
<data error, 3.02mp lost>
"This is unbelievable. What caused that explosion I can only guess at,
perhaps the gunner in that helicopter hit the ammunition of the rocket
launcher. I don't know, but..." The camera staggers sideways, sways,
and falls to the ground, skittering across the concrete. The view left
is of the feet of the rest of the crew running towards where Frank fell.
Gunfire from the Police lines intensifies. Cries of pain can be heard,
alongside the ricochet of bullets. Some lighter weapons fire occurs in
sporadic scattered pockets, faintly heard under the thunder of the heavy
Police weapons.
"The Police have responded to the attack... <get him off the fucking
street> they are marching forward, escorted by CityMaster trucks, water
cannon are spraying people, there is total chaos here, a complete lack
of any... Christ! Let's get out of here.
Ladies & gentlemen," the camera image jerks violently, someone grabbing
the carry handle and running into a side street, "we have come under
fire from the Police, they have obviously mistaken us as part of the
riot. We're going to try to get to a safe area. I'll broadcast again
once we are out of danger.
<signal static>
This has been Graham Sollen for SCNT21, reporting from the Redmond
Riots."
.....End feed.
I tell you, I'm fucking moving. This really is the limit.]<<<<<
-- Dongle <03:38:13/04-26-59>
