#vigilantism

#vigilantism

Bernhard Goetz, a 37-year-old electrical engineer living on 14th Street, got on a downtown 2 train. A couple of years earlier, he'd been mugged, and he'd subsequently gotten himself an unlicensed pistol, which he carried, concealed, that day on the subway. Four teenagers were in the same car, headed to a video arcade to jimmy open the coin boxes, which is why two of them had screwdrivers zippered up in their coat pockets. They were, witnesses said, rowdy, aggressive, intrusive.

I remember the first time I came here and I was completely relieved about my safety, Mr Galdino said. In Brazil you feel so scared in the streets. When I came here, I was completely free of that feeling. But in the last few years, seeing these things happen all the time, my perception has completely changed. I really do believe London is a paradise (for pickpockets).

Victims, analysts, rights activists, and U.N. officials warn that self-defense groups in Port-au-Prince are increasingly committing abuses similar to those perpetrated by gangs.

The victim began to scream for help, prompting several men to gather on the elevated platform. "Let her go!" one yelled.