Skip to content or view screen version

INCENDIARY ATTACK ON LONDON LIBRARY

Bang Van Geesten | 29.07.2005 08:52 | Anti-militarism | Culture | London | World

Putney Library, South London: Ashes and charred fragments of antipodean newsprint are all that remain of a copy of "The Australian" newspaper, ignited last night, shortly after 7pm, in an apparent arson attack. Library staff have not ruled out a connection with Al Qaeda.

Suspicions were aroused when a member of the public noticed smoke coming from a desk adjacent to where she was working. Witnesses report seeing the newspaper atop the desk, in flames. A strong smell of burning was also reported. Minutes earlier an "unkempt, bearded man" in his late forties or early fifties had been seen reading the newspaper. It is believed that he may have set fire to it using a small incendiary device, before leaving the library. The motive for the attack is not clear.

Library staff acted quickly to bring the blaze under control, before taking witness statements from members of the public. One reader claimed to have seen the suspect a number of times before. The man, described as an "eccentric", had been seen reading the sports page of the Independent newspaper in other libraries in the Wandsworth area. It is not known whether he has ignited his reading material on any previous occasion, or if the destruction of the newspaper is connected with the recent visit to London by the Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

Staff have been unable to confirm whether the suspect is in possession of a valid library ticket.

Bang Van Geesten
- Homepage: http://crackleandhiss.ebloggy.com/

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Small incendiary device!? If you mean a lighter or a box of matches just say so

29.07.2005 09:40

Interesting story. Not sure what the point of is of describing a lighter or a match as a "small incendiary device" though (unless your trying to whip up Islamophobia and happen to want to create the impression that a disgruntled library user, with perhaps some beef against the Ozzies, is actually walking around with bomb-making equipment instead of a simple zippo and a box of swan vestas!).

.


Incendiary language

29.07.2005 10:30

I'm not sure you're meant to be taking the tone of this 100% seriously....!

Scarecrow


al q is burning ur neurons

29.07.2005 10:52

next time they ll attack those few remaining unborn neurons in ur so called brain

gippo


Lesson in a foreign language

29.07.2005 12:50

You are either "bang van geest" or "bang voor geesten". The first means chronically frightened-of-no-matter-what. The second "scared of ghosts" (the usual Dutch word however would be 'spoken'). Please do not mishandle languages of Others.
But as far as Rupert Murdoch's garbage is concerned - go ahead, make my day (but do not set the library on fire please - i am a librarian myself).

Cornelius Coot


Bang bang, you shot me down...

29.07.2005 15:08

Is it my fault that I'm saddled with an unfortunate name, Cornelius? I see that you're similarly afflicted yourself...

In any case, I can assure you that my name is grammatically correct, meaning, indeed, "Frightened of Ghosts" in a popular continental European language. Bang Van Spoken is an acceptable alternative (he's a cousin of mine)

Bang Van Geesten