THEY’RE RIOTING ON ROBSON!!!!

What had been a party scene
now looked a lot like war
Full of doubt cops freaked out
and triggered a furore

Lacking mettle cops had to settle
for untried riot toys
With cordons drawn and canisters thrown
some untried riot ploys
tear gas smoke made people choke
police tactics leave no choice

Cops took the field with clubs and shield
and set people on the run
and made them pay with pepper spray
and rubber bullet guns
but once attacked youth fought back
and taunted cops for fun

The ancient hate of youths for state
exploded with no plan
It is a test of manliness
to stand up to The Man
And when police shoot Hell why not loot
they’re all in on the scam

One more round then homeward bound
the whole of downtown stank
We wandered back a glass strewn track
til stopped by cop phalanx
Can’t go through around it’s true
we split around their ranks

Crowds were gone a few lingered on
to tease and taunt the cops
The street’s a stage for grit and rage
and untaken photo ops
I get too close and get my dose
of pepperated slops

Though called bad names and given blame
I’m proud of our youth that day
The kind of `boys’ when war’s the choice
get deadly roles to play
To be exact given that fact
we prefer our youth that way

 

RECENT ACCUMULATIONS AND APPROPRIATED VOICES, Kalayaan Publications, 1997

  

Content of this website is released with ‘copyleft’ license, that is you are free to copy, redistribute or use it for your own purposes provided you retain the present copyleft notice including my name and contact information, allowing others to subsequently reuse the material.  Robin Sharpe, crankyman98@gmail.com.