Racial Tension

The Conservative Party government elected in 1979 had given new powers to the Police under the ‘Vagrancy Act of 1824’ to stop and search people based on only a 'reasonable suspicion' that an offence had been committed, These were applied mainly to the black community, and caused widespread resentment amongst young black men.

The Asian community also felt vulnerable to racist attack. The Police were given new powers to question people about their immigration status.

On 13 January 1981, thirteen Black youths died in the New Cross Fire. The police quickly dismissed a racial motive for the arson attack and the local Black communities were dismayed by the indifference shown in the press towards the deaths. 15,000 people marched demanding action to Central London, in the largest Black issue demonstration seen in the UK

Racial tensions continued to rise in the early part of the year. On 28 March 1981, Enoch Powell who was an Ulster Unionist MP, but still an influence on the Conservative Party gave a speech in which he warned of the dangers of a "racial civil war"

Brixon

On the evening of 10 April, at around 17:15, a black youth who had been stabbed by three other black youths in an attack was being helped by a police patrol in Atlantic Road. As he was being helped, a large crowd gathered. As they tried to take him to a waiting car on Railton Road, the crowd intervened.

The police were attacked and the struggle only ended when more police officers arrived; the youth was taken to a hospital. The crowd is reported to have believed that the police stopped and questioned the stabbed youth, rather than help him.

Rumours spread that the youth had been left to die by the police or that the police looked on as the stabbed youth was lying on the street. Over 200 youths reportedly turned on the police. In response the police decided to increase the number of police in Railton Road, despite the tensions, and continue "Operation Swamp 81" throughout the night of Friday the 10th and into the following day, Saturday the 11th of April.

During the disturbances, 299 police were injured, and at least 65 civilians. 61 vehicles and 56 police vehicles were damaged or destroyed. 28 buildings were burned and another 117 damaged and looted. 82 arrests were made

Handsworth

The first riot in Handsworth took place on 10 July 1981. The second larger riot took place between 9 and 11 September 1985. The riots were reportedly sparked by the arrest of a man near the Acapulco Cafe, Lozells and a police raid on the Villa Cross public house in the same area. Hundreds of people attacked police and property, looting and smashing, even setting off firebombs.

Chapeltown

The exact trigger for the riots is unclear, although much speculation took place in the local and national press. By 1981, Chapeltown was experiencing a high level of violent crime, tensions were high, particularly amongst the area's Caribbean majority. The high crime brought about a police purge and the riots took place in July 1981.

Toxteth

The Merseyside police force had a poor reputation within the black community for stopping and searching young black men in the area, and the perceived heavy-handed arrest of Leroy Alphonse Cooper on Friday 3 July, watched by an angry crowd, led to a disturbance in which three policemen were injured.

The Sheffield riot occurred on 9 July in and around Sheffield Town Hall. The exact cause is unclear. 14 policemen and 5 civilians were injured, 20 arrests were made, and several offices inside the Town Hall were badly damaged with several trees being set alight outside