The Chapeltown riots of 1987 took place in the
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
district of
Chapeltown in
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. Widespread rioting in Chapeltown also occurred in
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
and 1981. During the
1981 riots 1981 riots may refer to:
* 1981 England riots
** 1981 Brixton riot
** 1981 Chapeltown riots
** 1981 Handsworth riots
** 1981 Moss Side riot
** 1981 Toxteth riots
The Toxteth riots of July 1981 were a civil disturbance in Toxteth, inner-city ...
, rioting took place not only in Chapeltown, but also in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
and
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
.
The riots of 1987 began on Sunday, 21 June, when a black teenager, 17 year old Marcus Skellington, was arrested and beaten by police.
It is estimated that 70 teenagers participated in smashing shop windows, looting and attacking police officers 22 and 21 June. On 23 June, shops, cars, and windows were burned, bombed and stoned, including a sex shop which was completely burnt down.
The burning of the sex shop was particularly significant for two reasons. First, it was not widely supported or wanted by the local community and had been protested prior to the riots. Second, it was believed that the police carried out surveillance of the Hayfield Pub car park for marijuana dealing from above the sex shop, despite the sex shop operating illegally at times.
See also
*
2001 Harehills riot
On 5 June 2001, a riot broke out in the Harehills area of Leeds, England, triggered by the allegedly wrongful and heavy-handed arrest of Hossein Miah, an Asian man, by West Yorkshire Police. More than 200 people, predominantly Asian youths, ...
References
External links
Chapeltown: One Year One. 1987. Documentary. Yorkshire Film Archives.
Chapeltown
Chapeltown race riot
Crime in Leeds
History of Leeds
Riots and civil disorder in Leeds
Chapeltown, Leeds
1980s in Leeds
June 1987 in the United Kingdom
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