Case Study of the Oldham Riots
A review blamed deep rooted segregation which was not addressed – Poverty and lack of opportunity Mid Term Causes In the year leading to the Lolled Riots, there were 572 reported ethnically motivated crimes- In 62% white people were victims Nick Griffin of BAN announced he would stand for election in Lolled Wet and Rotten – National Front announced its interest in the area too According to the BBC, conflicts were caused by poverty, social disadvantage and a high percentage of young males- Tony Blair blamed the actions of the National Front and BAN Short Term Causes 26/5/2001 at pm a fight between a single Asian youth and a white youth broke out at Good Taste chip shop on the corner of Sailors Street and Roundworm Road in
Goldbrick and led to a hasty gang of white youths forming via social networking – Further violence erupted when a gang of white men attacked an Asian business and threw a projectile through a window off house in Goldbrick- The gang rampaged through Goldbrick attacking multiple people and places -The (white-owned) Live and Let Live pub was targeted and pelted with bricks, stones, bottles and then petrol bombs. Cars were driven to block the fire exits, in an attempt to stop the patrons from escaping the flames.
Cars in the surrounding roads were ignited, and police Nerve called. Police officers were pelted by groups of Asian males. A night of violence began and riot police were quickly drafted in to the Cowlick area, rife with both Pakistani and Bangladesh rioters. It is understood that both the Asian and white communities were furious with the recent events in the town. Asians were angry with media coverage and police handling of the various incidents and this may have intensified the riot.
In the days and weeks before the riots, several violent and racist disturbances occurred in Lolled, which are attributed to provoking the riots. Dicks, an area south-central to Lolled town had become increasingly ethnically pollarded. The area which is predominantly home to people of Pakistani origin had been for many years a no-go area for local white people for fear of possible attacks. Although this label was challenged by community leaders as a purely minority view this opinion still stands today 10 years on from the original disturbances. Similarly, areas of predominantly and pollarded white inhabited areas had the same perception of no-go to members of the Asian community.
This was increasing ensigns, and had been reported by the BBC North West Tonight programmer, by social-affairs reporter Dave Guest. On 21 April 2001, a mugging and attack upon 76-year-old white World War II ‘iterant Walter Chamberlain by three Asian youths was amongst the first major provocations which led to the riots. [1 5] Mr.. Chamberlain was approached as he Nailed to his home after watching a local amateur rugby league match.
He was mugged and badly beaten, receiving fractured bones in the face amongst other Injuries. His battered face appeared on the front of the Manchester Evening News, ND the story spread to all the major national newspapers. In the Mail on Sunday, his story was told under the headline ‘Whites beware’.
In the Mirror, his face appeared under the headline ‘Beaten for being white: POP, 76, attacked in Asian no-go area’. Media pundits began to speculate on the apparent transformation of young Asian males – from the stereotype of hard-working boys, who respected their parents, to the new stereotype of angry, violent thugs. [11] An Asian male (a Mr.
. Boxful Islam) was ultimately charged for the crime of racially-aggravated grievous bodily harm on 1 October 2001, some time after the riots. Walter Chamberlain and his family in an attempt to try to calm tensions in the borough stated at the time that the mugging Nas Just that, and not at all racially was a violent assault on an elderly man”, said Mr..
Chamberlain’s son Steven.
“As a family we don’t think it was a race issue at Since this story was attributed to fuelling further hatred in the local communities race crimes against all sections of society are no longer reported as such for fear of further trouble. Following a long period of ethnic-tensions, and the attack upon Walter Chamberlain, the far-right National Front political party applied to the council on 26 April for permission to march and demonstrate in Lolled on 5 May. Permission was lined Witt a three Mont n ban upon public procession in Lolled put in place Witt the aim of keeping order and preventing further increase of ethnic-tensions.
Several racist skirmishes occurred in the town, including visiting football supporters from Stoke City F. C. Hurling racist abuse at local Asian individuals.
Attacks followed, initially from Stoke City fans, and then more serious retaliatory attacks and ether bomb throwing from local male Bangladesh groups. Following this, on 5 May 2001 , there was a day of mounting tension and run-ins between racist and anti-racist groups in the town. Up to fifty National Front supporters, mainly from Birmingham and London arrived in the town, clashing with members of the Anti-Nazi League and local Asian groups. Five hundred police were deployed, and the events received extensive media coverage. In the week before the Lolled Riots, a number of racist incidents occurred at Breeze Hill School near Cowlick.
Several white youths, mom of whom were ex-pupils of the school, approached the school, throwing stones and projectiles at the premises and hurling racist abuse at the majority Asian school pupils. Police were called for five consecutive days from 21 May 2001 to dissipate the disturbances which were reported by the local press. Cowlick Infant and Nursery School in the centre of Cowlick was targeted, and a bomb threat was given to the school, which has the overall majority of its pupils, being from Muslim families. Everyone was evacuated, but it was only a scare and no bomb was ever implanted within the school.
