Remembering the Brixton uprisings 40 years on
With tensions rising and innocent black people being targeted by police, the so-called Battle of Brixton was a long time coming says Dotun Adebayo
A SIGN OF THE TIMES: A man expresses his frustration to Met police officers on Saturday, April 11, 1981
FORTY YEARS ago this month, what was described as one of the ‘worst disturbances’ on mainland Britain for centuries took place in Brixton, south London – in the heart of the capital’s black community. It sent shockwaves across the country that still reverberate today in policing and race relations.
But what difference did it make? In this feature we remember the battle for Brixton. Some call it a riot, some call it an uprising. But 40 years on, the scars of the so-called battle that began on April 10, 1981 and lasted until April 12 are nowhere to be seen.