1981 England riots

1981 England riots
DateApril 1981 (1981-04)–July 1981 (1981-07)
Location
Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham

In April and July 1981, there were riots in several cities and towns in England. The riots mainly involved black English youth clashing with police. They were caused by tension between black people and the police,[1] especially perceived racist discrimination against black people through increased use of stop-and-search,[2] and were also fuelled by inner-city deprivation.[3] The most serious riots were the April Brixton riots in London, followed in July by the Toxteth riots in Liverpool, the Handsworth riots in Birmingham, the Chapeltown riots in Leeds, and the Moss Side riots in Manchester. There were also a series of less serious riots in other towns and cities. As a result of the riots, the government commissioned the Scarman Report.

  1. ^ "How smouldering tension erupted to set Brixton aflame". The Guardian. London. 13 April 1981.
  2. ^ J. A. Cloake & M. R. Tudor. Multicultural Britain. Oxford University Press, 2001. pp. 60–64
  3. ^ Kettle, Martin & Hodges, Lucy (1982) Uprising!: Police, the People and the Riots in Britain's Cities