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Tom Kelly Road Flats, Dublin 2. Sam Boal/Photocall

Stockpiling for Halloween bonfire causes city centre flat blaze

Children lined the stairwell of the flats with more than 40 wooden pallets they collected for a bonfire.

Updated 22:47

DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE were called to a fire in a group of city centre flats in Dublin in the early hours of Thursday morning after material collected for a Halloween bonfire went up in flames.

At approximately 2.30am a fire crew was called to a blaze in Tom Kelly Road Flats on Tom Kelly Road, Dublin 2.

Wooden pallets

Youths had lined the stairwell from floor to ceiling  from the ground floor to the first floor with more than 40 wooden pallets, which caught on fire.

By the time the fire engines arrived at the scene, the fire was already a blaze.  Two fire engines used their water supply but also had to use the hydrants for extra water to tackle the fire.

People on the first and second floor were trapped in their flats and could not leave until the smoke was cleared.

One officer in attendance said in his 30 years in the job he had never seen such a thing.

It is believed that no one was injured in the incident.

Tom Kelly Flats
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  • Tom Kelly Flats

    Source: Sam Boal/Photocall
  • Tom Kelly Flats

    Source: Sam Boal/Photocall
  • Tom Kelly Flats

    Source: Sam Boal/Photocall
  • Tom Kelly Flats

    Source: Sam Boal/Photocall
  • Tom Kelly Flats

    Source: Sam Boal/Photocall
  • Tom Kelly Flats

    Source: Sam Boal/Photocall
  • Tom Kelly Flats

    Source: Sam Boal/Photocall
  • Tom Kelly Flats

    Source: Sam Boal/Photocall
  • Tom Kelly Flats

    Source: Sam Boal/Photocall

First published 08:07.

Read: Wicklow Council fined €355k over Bray firemen deaths>

Read: ‘Accountability and lessons need to be learnt from the deaths of Bray fire men’>

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60 Comments
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    Mute Liam
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:11 AM

    Idiots.

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    Mute Sacha Mahady
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:29 AM

    Idiots indeed Liam but not just the kids. The adults mostly for allowing it and not reporting it.

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Nov 1st 2013, 10:07 AM

    No adults living in the flats then?

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    Mute The Green Monkey
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    Nov 1st 2013, 11:08 AM

    Stuff doesn’t usually spontaneously combust (usually)………

    105
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    Mute John Clarke
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    Nov 1st 2013, 11:49 AM

    Fact, you took the words out of my mouth. Some little shitebag decided it would be good craic to light them up!!

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    Mute Louise Reid Mc Hugh
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:14 AM

    How stupid can you get, a lot of innocent people could have lost their lives. Well done Dublin Fire Brigade

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    Mute Salvage Guy
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:18 AM

    I don’t think I’ve heard of anything more stupid in my life. Firstly stockpiling it in the stairwell, secondly people allowing to happen and thirdly some ass lighting it ?

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    Mute Silverharp Harp
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:16 AM

    are there no “adults” to supervise these knuckle draggers…..Idiocracy was meant to be a movie not a game plan

    395
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    Mute Emilio
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:47 AM

    That’s the story of their lives, no adults have been supervising these people, ever. No, I am not taking saying they are blameless, though.

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    Mute karla carroll
    Favourite karla carroll
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:54 AM

    I remember living in the country my brothers had made a bonfire put a tube into it and launched projectiles out of it.

    The projectiles bring aerosol cans.

    Teens will be teens and they will take part in risky behavior, if there was organised bonfires and fireworks you would find that teens would attend these instead of making their own fun.

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    Mute Rkmr
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    Nov 1st 2013, 1:17 PM

    Wow don’t know why you got so many red thumbs Karla but I agree with you. Would be great to have some organised fireworks and bonfires for communities, organised and supervised by adults.
    When I was a kid I remember all or most of the parents being involve with preparing the bonfires. Do they not bother anymore?

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    Mute Mary Dundee
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    Nov 1st 2013, 2:12 PM

    sure the adults are probably just as bad as the kids…..

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    Mute always right
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:25 AM

    This is what generational welfare does

    351
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    Mute Jim Brady
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:05 AM

    Unless the Darwin awards beats them to it.

    66
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    Mute Vanessa Sterry
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    Nov 1st 2013, 11:29 PM

    Darwin awards can’t pay for smokes cans and lighters

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    Mute Seth Cheffetz
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:12 AM

    I am still amazed that the bonfires are not shut down and residents don’t speak up more against them. Situations like this will continue to happen.

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    Mute Vanessa Sterry
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    Nov 1st 2013, 11:28 PM

    Easier said than done. You try taking on a group of 2-5 youths one day (possibly more), give them a telling off and you’ll either be buying new windows or paying off a hospital bill. They’ve no respect for anyone let alone themselves

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    Mute Geralyn Early
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:45 AM

    “The pallets caught fire” that kinda sh*t just doesn’t happen by it self!!! Those kids are total and utter idiots hell bent on causing chaos no matter what the consequences!! Angry as usual on post Halloween day!!!!

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    Mute Ted Carroll
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:43 AM

    I was thinking the same thing, unless the temperatures inside those stairwells are ridiculously high I think the chances of them just “catching fire” are pretty slim!

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    Mute marcoop
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:36 AM

    We didnt start the fire…..we just put pallets in the stairwell and thought thats where they’ll be safe as hell…we didnt start the fire…

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    Mute Barry O'Driscoll
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:01 AM

    Clowns..thick as two short pallets

    122
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    Mute Stuart Healy
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:39 AM

    Bonfires are going to happen every year and the threat of the guards or councils taking the wood etc, the kids are trying to hide it. Stupidly in this case, but kids do stupid stuff.

    Why not organise supervised bonfires/fireworks displays that can be kept in control while keeping people happy and safe.

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    Mute Fergal Kelly
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:59 AM

    To be fair these types of people would probably prefer to start their own rather than attend an organised one.

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    Mute karla carroll
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:14 AM

    How do you know? Did you ask them?

    My own teen attended a bonfire last night organised ‘off the record’ in a small rural community. Parent’s were involved in setting it up and lighting it, in a farmer’s field with.his permission.

    We attended a bonfire in the same location last year. The guards turned up as I left so I have no idea what happened after that.

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    Mute John Murphy
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:37 AM

    Nice example your setting your son there. Sure one ‘Bon Fire’ won’t harm the environment and it’s a handy way to burn the household rubbish.

    364 days until your next one I can’t wait …

    60
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    Mute karla carroll
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:51 AM

    My daughter.

    Tbh I burn wood and coal in the fireplace every evening.

    One night a year she goes to a bonfire. 1 night. It’s mostly pallets that are burnt with tree branches.

    She has gone to a bonfire nearly every Halloween for the last 14 year’s. Never once has anyone been injured or the fire got out of control.

    As I said in an earlier article I spent some of my childhood in the UK. The bonfires there were way better, it was a community event with food, music and fireworks.

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    Mute Skip Goose
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    Nov 1st 2013, 10:25 AM

    That might be grand down the country when you can put it in farmer Joe’s field miles from buildings. More often than not these are built close to houses in parks run by the council and cost a fortune to clean up! It’s a focal point for the local social deviants to get locked and to run riot. The so called “Adults” who “supervise” are more often than not bananas drunk. There are organised fireworks displays in different areas if they want somewhere to go. Bonfires are just an excuse for anti social behaviour and to stone the fire brigade when they turn up to put it out!!

    46
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    Mute karla carroll
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    Nov 1st 2013, 10:33 AM

    Even in the town bonfires I went to with my daughter there was no anti social behavior even when the fire engines came to put them out. There used to be 6 or 7 bonfires around the town.

    There was no antisocial behavior at the one my daughter went to last night.

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    Mute Skip Goose
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    Nov 1st 2013, 10:52 AM

    So she says!! That’s not the reality at the majority of them.

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    Mute Skip Goose
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    Nov 1st 2013, 10:52 AM

    So she says!! That’s not the reality at the majority of them

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    Mute Ali
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    Nov 1st 2013, 10:02 AM

    Been working in the market for years now and every year we see packs of kids/teens (sometimes up to 30 or more) coming for pallets they usually start a month before Halloween.. Quite intimidating at times they have no care for your work place or any authority at all.. Something really should be done before a tragic incident occurs.. Fair play to the fire brigade but I think the council should be doing more to stop this..

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    Mute AICS (Steve Tracey)
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:41 AM

    Perhaps those adults who were trapped and must have known about the pallets might think about reporting such things next year.
    Really believe that supervised bonfires with fireworks are the answer.

    58
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    Mute Angrier Physio
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:38 AM

    I’m very angry.

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:54 AM

    There’s an app for that

    72
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    Mute Stephen Doyle
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    Nov 1st 2013, 10:21 AM

    Same dopey kids would throw rocks at the fire brigade too

    38
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    Mute Susie
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:03 AM

    Thank God no one was hurt.

    36
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    Mute susanna smyth
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:17 AM

    Yeah. if someone had the sense to report the stockpiling of wood, probably by their own kids, would have been a rat. God forbid!

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    Mute Jeff Byrne
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:51 AM

    Stupid place to hide the wood. And you lot make me sick as if none of you lot never collected wood when you were kids Halloween is for the kids not for you lot to give out about looking for attention…..

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    Mute Montys Moonshine
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:55 AM

    I often collected wood, never stockpiled it and set it on fire in the stairwell of an inhabited flat complex though. Does this seem ok to you?

    163
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    Mute Fergal Kelly
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:00 AM

    Kind of a key difference between collecting a couple of pallets out my back and storing 40 of them on a stairs.

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    Mute Nicolette Spelic
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:44 AM

    Those kids desperately need to be entertained and upskilled. They got no activities in the city centre… sad to see but that’s exactly why they are creative in trouble making. We need facilities in the centre where they can walk in, learn new skills while having fun in a community centre or something.

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    Mute John Murphy
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:51 AM

    Stockpiling happened in most towns unfortunately not just Dublin city centre

    18
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    Mute Conor McKenna
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:54 AM

    “Won’t somebody please think of the children”

    19
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    Mute Marlon Major
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    Nov 1st 2013, 10:39 AM

    Why do authorities permit bonfires?

    I know for a fact that in many part of the US, bonfires are organized and supervised by the fire department. These bonfires tend to be larger than belief, become a local social family event and vendors selling food & drink can make a few bob.

    16
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    Mute Jeff Byrne
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:33 AM

    As I said stupid place to hide there wood but don’t lie and say you’s never did it you lot are all mouths and keyboard gangsters

    13
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    Mute TheLoneHurler
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    Nov 1st 2013, 10:06 AM

    No Jeff… you are way off the mark… how many adults live in that complex? Did none of the adults see the danger in stockpiling the wood in the stairwell?

    Are so many of the adults there so bunged up that they could not lay the needle aside for one night of the year and organise a community bonfire for the residents?

    Kids rearing kids is what this situation smacks of. These people have little or no desire to grab themselves by the bootstraps and try to make a difference. Tough on them, but they reap what the sow.

    48
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    Mute Burch Barlow
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    Nov 1st 2013, 11:29 AM

    Jeff did you enjoy setting fire to your flat?

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    Mute Barry O'Driscoll
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    Nov 1st 2013, 12:21 PM

    At least get your grammar right if you are going to slag people off..Halloween is not about bonfires going out of control and setting fire people’s homes & then attacking the fire services who try to extinguish said fire..can’t defend these idiots.

    12
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    Mute Sean O'Sullivan
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    Nov 1st 2013, 1:44 PM

    Who gives a f#@¥. Sure wont the corpo pay for any damage caused! Aka….taxpayer mugs!

    12
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    Mute Burch Barlow
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    Nov 1st 2013, 11:30 AM

    That is what happens when you give a tack head wood a lighter and no heroin, lights the place up.

    11
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    Mute Mary Dundee
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    Nov 1st 2013, 2:14 PM

    there should be a levy on pallets to enforce people to return them….so when someone buys a pallet of blocks … charge an extra 50 and give it back when they return the pallet.

    8
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    Mute David Walls
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:47 PM

    You obviously don’t know the value of pallets, my friends friend makes 70 grand a year collecting them!!

    2
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    Mute Mary Dundee
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    Nov 2nd 2013, 5:45 AM

    what’s the levy on one pallet?

    its 15 euro in Germany so cant be anymore than 50 in ireland.

    2
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    Mute Gis Bayertz
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    Nov 1st 2013, 1:44 PM

    Morons

    6
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    Mute Patrick Dunne
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:56 PM

    …….and not a mention of the two innocent shopping trolleys that were sacrificed on the fire, just because one had a wonky wheel didn’t mean it had to die like this!!!

    5
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    Mute Eoghan Augusta
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    Nov 1st 2013, 10:59 AM

    Typical idiot racists on the journal who talk about everything they know nothing about. Go out and get a job, failing that – stop hiding behind a fake name!

    1
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    Mute Burch Barlow
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    Nov 1st 2013, 11:29 AM

    Racists?

    20
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    Mute sluazcanal
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    Nov 1st 2013, 12:39 PM

    Fake name?

    13
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    Mute David Walls
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    Nov 1st 2013, 9:44 PM

    Maybe just fine specimen was taking palletive care of them!!

    1
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    Mute Peter Hackett
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    Nov 1st 2013, 8:11 PM

    Why not give the boys paint guns keep the youths from smashing up there vehicles with kegs ….imagine that in American police shoot on sight government to soft

    1
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