Brixton riot 30 years on: Windrush Square/library event, Sun 10th April 2011

[story]

No, I meant geographically really. But it could be extended to mean by experience, or understanding. And yeah, some of that could be media defined. But the media wasn't quite yet the meeja that it later became.

For many many people - especially outside of London or similar inner city areas - the first time they ever heard of Brixton was when the riot/uprising happened.

 

[story]

Geographically, I was outside Brixton at the time, but I knew people who lived here and I also knew people who lived similarly disenfranchised lives elsewhere, so I was aware of the difference in perception (riot-uprising).

 

[editor]

Most people I know in Brixton - black/white - old/young - were there/weren't there - generally refer to it as the Brixton riots, or swap between 'riots' and 'uprising'.

 

[London_Calling]

'riot' always seems to me to be easier to dismiss as mindless or at least apolitical.

 

[editor]

'riot' always seems to me to be easier to dismiss as mindless or at least apolitical.

If you like to project your opinions on others, yes. You can find loads of contemporary interviews with locals describing it as a riot. A riot that was fuelled by an uprising, if you like.

It's all semantics to me, I'm afraid.

 

[butchersapron]

I've sat through hours of video-ed/audio oral history, read loads of participants reports etc over the last few week as part of my mates PHD on this - the terms they use are interchangeable in terms of what they describe -trouble and riot are the most used. Uprising came later.

 

[London_Calling]

Fwiw, the guy on local news was relying on contemporary literature to support his point - though he didn't have any to hand.

 

[editor]

I've sat through hours of video-ed/audio oral history, read loads of participants reports etc over the last few week as part of my mates PHD on this - the terms they use are interchangeable in terms of what they describe -trouble and riot are the most used. Uprising came later.

Yep.

 

[editor]

Here's Ed West's fascinating take on it all:
How the Brixton riots, 30 years ago today, handed power to the mosques
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/e...-years-ago-today-handed-power-to-the-mosques/

 

[editor]

Daily Mail fucks up again:

A council is demanding an apology over a national newspaper’s story criticising it for spending “thousands of pounds” on the celebration of the Brixton Riots.

The Daily Mail published a story criticising Lambeth Council for funding Brixton Riots celebrations on Windrush Square.

But leader of the council, Councillor Steve Reed, today tweeted that the council demanded an apology for the “made-up” story.

His tweet said: “Lambeth Council demands apology from Daily Mail over made-up story claiming council funded ‘celebration’ of Brixton riots.”

http://www.streathamguardian.co.uk/...dium=Twitter&ref=rss&utm_source=SNS.analytics

 

[story]

I've sat through hours of video-ed/audio oral history, read loads of participants reports etc over the last few week as part of my mates PHD on this - the terms they use are interchangeable in terms of what they describe -trouble and riot are the most used. Uprising came later.

I'm pretty sure I heard "uprising" fairly contemporaneous with events, or shortly afterwards, perhaps in response to Scarman's visit and all that. This was in squats and such like. And a lad who had lost two family members in the Deptford fire: he said "uprising"; perhaps more in hope than anything else.

Oh, and my stepmother's boyfriend, who was South African. He said uprising, but his meaning was entirely different.

And "trouble", yeah.

I also heard "troubles" once or twice, somehow equating it with the situation in N. Ireland, but that didn't last long, or was limited to a particular circle of people.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Yes, I heard uprising at the time too. Living through it, and afterwards, most people said and still say riots, without negative connotations.

 

[editor]

Living through it, and afterwards, most people said and still say riots, without negative connotations.

Yep.

 

[story]

Yes, I heard uprising at the time too. Living through it, and afterwards, most people said and still say riots, without negative connotations.

Using one or the other term seemed to... um.. somehow identify and pigeonhole, or announce, the politics and attitudes of the person speaking rather than saying anything significant about what had happened.

But yes, "riots" was perfectly acceptable, a pretty neutral term really.

 

[story]

What I said up there at the start: that people in Brixton seemed to use the term "uprising" while those outside said "riot", that is the way I remember it, but maybe because I am remembering what stood out for me at the time.

 

[Badgers]

Eddie Nestor from BBC London in Windrush Square.
Not there myself but listening on the bus.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I've seen the following on a few status updates on Facebook in the last 24 hours...

I don't remember the Brixton riots, but I do remember the Brixton uprisings

 

[Badgers]

Eddie Nestor from BBC London in Windrush Square.
Not there myself but listening on the bus.

 

[editor]

Packing them in!

 

[Badgers]

Packing them in!

It was not bad for BBC London but he was a bit rose tinted.

 

[Gramsci]

Daily Mail fucks up again:

According to the Council website it was not funded event.

http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/News/2011/BrixtonRiotsCommemoration.htm

 

[Gixxer1000]

I'm pretty sure I heard "uprising" fairly contemporaneous with events, or shortly afterwards, perhaps in response to Scarman's visit and all that. This was in squats and such like. And a lad who had lost two family members in the Deptford fire: he said "uprising"; perhaps more in hope than anything else.

Oh, and my stepmother's boyfriend, who was South African. He said uprising, but his meaning was entirely different.

And "trouble", yeah.

I also heard "troubles" once or twice, somehow equating it with the situation in N. Ireland, but that didn't last long, or was limited to a particular circle of people.

Presumably the rape victims didnt use the term "uprising".

 

[Gramsci]

http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/News/2011/BrixtonRiotsCommemoration.htm

However Steve Reed refers to it as uprising. Also says that the reasons for it are gone now as the Council works hard :

Steve Reed said: "The Brixton of 2011 is a world away from the Brixton of early 80s. The council today works hard to help people out of poverty by getting into work, and provides more support and activities for young people, especially those most at risk of being involved in crime

Really? The Council cuts (forced on them by this government) are leading to the laying off a lot of staff and social programmes to help people. If anything the cuts that the Government are making are in the effect comparable to what happened in the 80s under Thatcher.

Im not saying Brixton will have riots like in the past but across the country the potential for civil disorder is there if these cuts really bit over the next year and there is no improvement in the economy.

According to Reed:

"We still face huge challenges of course, but we work together to solve them rather than let them tear our community apart. That's demanded big changes from the council and the police who have learnt to build a much closer relationship with local people. The riots are our past, we remember them so we can learn, but we have become a stronger community and today's Brixton is not the place that went up in flames thirty years ago, it's a place where the world comes together to create something new and exciting."

But the lesson of the riot in 81 is that if u do this u are more likely to get listened to. Nor did the riot tear the community apart. From what I remember the next day there was a feeling of victory. It united the community. Even the older Black people thought that the police had it coming.

I remember the top police and Home secretary ( i think it was him ) going on a tour of brixton shortly after the riots. They were jeered at by passers by. I remember a couple of big Black woman calling them Rassclaats.

I still call it Brixton Riot as that was what it was called at the time. Uprising is more recent.

It was not a race riot. It was directed at Police. White people living in the area did not get any hostility for just being white.

Im not happy with the term Uprising. There were other riots before and after Brixton. Are they uprisings? Theres nothing wrong with the word Riot. It has a long and important history in this country.

Also Reed says riots are our past. But the scenes at the Council budget meeting ,whilst not a riot ,were imo justifiably in the way the the Brixton riot of 81 is now seen by the mainstream. But the disruption of the Council meeting was condemned by the Labour party. Its easy to look at something that happened 30 years ago and say it was ok but condemn civil disorder now.

 

[Gramsci]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00fvldh

10 minute piece on the riot with Sheldon Thomas and Paddick.

Oh dear Paddick calls rioters "cowards". Says that Police never lost control of whole of Brixton. Im my memory they did.

 

[Pickman's model]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00fvldh

10 minute piece on the riot with Sheldon Thomas and Paddick.

Oh dear Paddick calls rioters "cowards". Says that Police never lost control of whole of Brixton. Im my memory they did.

he's a bit of a drama queen on occasion.

 

[Gramsci]

The small exhibition in the Tate Library is excellant. It has cuttings from newspapers from the time about the riot.To find out the context for the riot and reaction across the political spectrum its a must see.

 

[PaulAtherton]

Daily Mail fucks up again:

Ironically, I got involved with a debate on Twitter with Steve Reed about this. It turns out that the story isn't entirely untrue.

Firstly, Reed had no idea that Windrush and the Library were volunteered at no cost to the event (a donation in itself which was worth £1,000's).

Secondly, the events booking was being handled by a member of the council (again, a fact that Reed wasn't aware of until I pointed it out on Lambeth Council's website and again something that was funded by the Council).

Thirdly, that the council had promoted the event as if it was one of their own and therefore some advertising costs would also have been involved.

So, whilst no cash exchanged hands per se, to claim that the council hadn't supported the event financially is slightly disingenuous.

Though I do also take the point that the Daily Mail piece was clearly biased .

 

[Moira Coleman]

Yes, I heard uprising at the time too. Living through it, and afterwards, most people said and still say riots, without negative connotations.

Yes your quite right I was actually caught in it in my A35 van, fortunately for me it was the tail end of it, I was blocked in by The Times Furnishing Shop, (now MacDonalds), it was always referred to as Brixton riots, with no negative connotations. I do have an opinion as to why I believe it erupted into what it did. Thats another story.

 

[CH1]

Yes your quite right I was actually caught in it in my A35 van, fortunately for me it was the tail end of it, I was blocked in by The Times Furnishing Shop, (now MacDonalds), it was always referred to as Brixton riots, with no negative connotations. I do have an opinion as to why I believe it erupted into what it did. Thats another story.

My favourite riot was the 1985 one, although the '83 one had it's moments (I was being visited by a friend from Athens who took it very much in his stride).
1985 I was still in Effra Court (next Olive Morris House) and the maintenance people had neglected to fix a padlock on the trap door to the roof. So we had a roof-top view - including corner of Barrington/Gresham/Coldharbour in flames.
This "uprising" thing is bollocks.
That will be when we get a spare guillotine over from Paris and sort out Governor Steve Reed.

 

[Laurie Duncan]

Hi..Researching Brixton 81. Does anyone have newspaper clippings from April 1981. I would be interested in the nationals esp Sun, Guardian but also local papers as well. Thanks.