Apple reacts to London riots
The ongoing London riots, now in their fourth day, have already caused significant damage across the city. Apple, a tempting target for thieves and vandals during the best of times, has reacted as any prudent and sufficiently cautious high-end retailer should during such a time. The Apple Store in Liverpool has entirely cleared out its inventory, and according to TNW several other stores have followed suit.
The Regent Street store has closed early with unconfirmed reports of armed police guards standing by, and many stores have police vans parked directly in front of the stores. Several London-area Apple resellers are also clearing stock from their shelves.
We've received several reports of 40 new-in-package iPhone 4 units available for sale on Craigslist, possibly related to the looting.
With reports on Twitter indicating that at least one of Sony's London-area stores was looted yesterday, Apple's reaction seems particularly prudent. Its products are obviously a high-profile target for would-be looters, and the fact that its storefronts are almost entirely glass could draw unwelcome attention from the vandals currently wrecking their way across London.
So far we have received no credible reports of any looting or vandalism taking place at any of London's Apple Stores, with the possible exception of the Craigslist seller mentioned above.
None of our UK correspondents have been directly affected by the rioting yet, and we wish them and all of the UK a speedy return to order.
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The ongoing London riots, now in their fourth day, have already caused significant damage across the city. Apple, a tempting target...
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It's times like these I expect every apple store to come with bulletproof glass fronts, blast proof shields, and an armory for genius bar employees to use to defend their Apple Products. I wouldnt be surprised...
August 15 2011 at 10:28 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIt's not called rioting... it's called an Insurrection. Wake up?! Sheesh! The Youth of that country are having their life support pulled with no plan for their future by an uncaring government who is happy to let them die... they are rising up and making their voice heard the only way they have left. Meanwhile, it's companies like Apple that are dodging taxes and destroying the economies that supported these youths up till now. I love apple products like the next guy, but c'mon, let's get real here... they aren't all vandals, and they aren't all "wrecking their way across London." Some just want to be heard... nice job of ignoring these voices along with their governments...
August 12 2011 at 4:03 PM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down ReplyWow, I can't believe you are supporting these looting monsters. They're not doing it to make a point or mark a protest, they're stealing and damaging property for the FUN of it. Because they're bored. Maybe in the first 24 hours it had something to do with being heard, but the copycat rioters don't care about being heard. They care about vandalism, theft, and fear.
But you go ahead and keep on pretending that it's all justified.
I don't blame them. Not one bit. If I was a A-hole Rioter looking to get **** for free, the first place I would have headed for -- was the Apple Store. Sorry, but true.
August 11 2011 at 8:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAs the cities burn and the thugs rampage, Abramovich's daughter tastelessly boasts about her new £4m "starter home". If ever there were a piece to inflame anger, the Evening Standard's piece on this billionaire brat was it. Here's my response:
http://dasteepsspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/08/rats-and-billionaire-brats_10.html
My thoughts are with the innocent home owners and shopkeepers and all else who have suffered across the UK.
More likely that the 40 iPhones on Craigslist were pilfered from a high street mobile phone shop - I believe from the listing that they were locked to O2.
August 10 2011 at 9:56 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWhy don't the police introduce a 'shoot-to-kill' policy after declaring martial law and a 7pm curfew.
Water canons with dyed water and plastic bullets also should be deployed.
That will stop mindless troublemakers, its NOT a riot, its selfish thuggery at it's worst, and needs to be delt with swiftly and harshly!!!
Daniel
Not a riot? What do you think a riot is, but large scale lawlessness? Much like the LA riots of 15 years ago, the spark for the riot had little to do with what happened later. The LA riots were characterized by the same thuggery, wanton vandalism, and looting.
August 11 2011 at 8:05 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWake up and smell the true crime here... our worlds governments are killing us as fast as they can in the name of profit. Our planet is dying and we are selling it to the highest bidder as quickly as we can buy the next best "thing." THIS isn't how we should be living anyway, we were never meant to be sheep... but try telling that to the government. Any one of them...
August 12 2011 at 4:05 PM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down ReplyThese rioters are losers, they have no valid claim for their rioting, they can only blame themselves, the bankers did not light the fires. they just aren't thinking about what the end result of their actions are. i mean do these people not need to eat, sleep or go to the bathroom. if they keep it up they will eventually be able to do none of those things.
August 10 2011 at 4:58 AM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down ReplyThey are destroying their own environment just to be heard. Are you freaking kidding me here? These are the youth who can't find a job cause there aren't any, having their only means of support pulled by the corrupt and lawless government that was supposed to be protecting them, meanwhile these kids are being shown their worth by being shot to death by the police who are supposed to be protecting them?!
You need to get a life and try to understand before clicking on the keyboard like the mindless automaton you present yourself as.
"They are destroying their own environment just to be heard."
This alone is evidence of idiocy hard at work. Poor little babies throwing a temper tantrum? Aww.
"These are the youth who can't find a job cause there aren't any, having their only means of support pulled by the corrupt and lawless government that was supposed to be protecting them"
Not being able to find a job is no reason to do what they're doing. So they riot, and get sent to prison. What future are they going to have now? None, which is exactly the future these scum deserve.
Nice to know the limited police resources are being well utilised in all of this.
August 10 2011 at 3:39 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHmm not sure why there would be a bunch of iPhone units on craigslist as a result of the looting... us UK folk don't use the site and I very much doubt any looter would have the ability to export! In any case they'd get more by selling them here.
August 10 2011 at 3:17 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyApple is so cool the rioters are queuing for up to six hours to loot the stores...
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TUAW (or The Unofficial Apple Weblog) is a website devoted to tips, reviews, news, analysis and opinion on everything Apple.
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