11 Apr
11 April 1981
It was 30 years ago today that Brixton in South London erupted in rioting
I was there, but as a mere observer. As I was then living in a flat at the bottom end of the Front Line, Railton Road, and working with disadvantaged youths in Stockwell, to the north of Brixton, I was well aware of the impact of "Operation Swamp". This was so-called because of Margaret Thatcher's infamous comments that "people in some communities were feeling swamped by alien cultures." This was a deliberate attempt to persuade fascist National Front supporters into the Tory party fold.
If I'd been of West Indian heritage – an alien culture (!?) – I too would have built up a store of resentment at being singled out by the forces of Thatcher law and order and regularly arrested because of the colour of my skin on "suspicion of carrying drugs, or theft." I'd probably also have been unemployed and therefore hanging out on the neighbourhood streets with my mates.
The so-called "sus law" was used seemingly indiscriminately in terms of the numbers hauled off to the local police station. One lad I'll never forget was 16 year old Derek. He was a feature at the go-karting project and adventure playground in the 'catchment area' of the charity I was director of. He had a very low mental age and in spite of his size behaved like a seven year old. Everyone liked him.
One day he'd gravitated down to the skateboard park at the end of Stockwell Road which was exactly opposite Brixton police station. He was carrying his collection of toy cars in his pockets. When he was picked up on 'sus' of stealing them, he said nothing. He was bemused, unused to anybody not treating him as a seven year old but as a teenage thug.
Extracting him from the clutches of the coppers drained us all emotionally.
How fucking dare they!
Well they did, and finally Brixton exploded, and few of us were surprised.
It was not a race riot as some media said; purely and simply, as the resultant Scarman Report made clear, the riot was an outburst of violence against the police, and that local community leaders and police should share the blame for the breakdown in communications. It also stated that the police needed to be better organised for riot control, and made clear the extent to which increasing unemployment coupled with discrimination against the black community in a variety of ways were vital contributory factors.
Someone else who was there was Kim Aldis. His photos bring all my memories flooding back.
Electric Avenue
Down in the street there is violence
And a lots of work to be done
No place to hang out our washing
And I can't blame all on the sun, oh no
CHORUS:
We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Workin' so hard like a soldier
Can't afford a thing on TV
Deep in my heart I'm a warrior
Can't get food for them kid, good God
CHORUS
Oh no…
Oh no…
Oh no…
Oh no…
CHORUS
Who is to blame in one country
Never can get to the one
Dealin' in multiplication
And they still can't feed everyone, oh no
CHORUS
Out in the street…
Out in the street…
Out in the playground…
In the dark side of town…
CHORUS
Rock it in the daytime
Rock it in the night ..
Eddy Grant
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