The Brixton riot of 1985 started on 28 September in Lambeth in South London. It was the second major riot that the area had witnessed in the space of four years, the last in 1981. It was sparked by the shooting of Dorothy "Cherry" Groce by the Metropolitan Police, while they sought her 21-year-old son Michael Groce in relation to a robbery and suspected firearms offence; they believed Michael Groce was hiding in his mother's home.

After being released from prison two months before,

Raid on Cherry Groce's house

On the morning of Saturday 28 September 1985, a group of police officers raided Cherry Groce's house on Normandy Road, Brixton, including an armed CID officer, searching for suspected armed robber Michael Groce. As darkness fell on Coldharbour Lane, groups of men gathered and were stopping cars, opening doors and seizing the keys, expelling their occupants and then setting the cars on fire. One furniture shop, spanning the junction of Gresham Road, Barrington Road and Coldharbour Lane, was set on fire. The fire rapidly spread to the residential flats on the higher levels of the 4-storey building, and it was only by singular good fortune and heroic action of residents in rescuing one elderly gentleman that all escaped without loss of life or serious injury. Police later stated that they made 149 arrests that evening, mostly for violence, 20 for burglary and theft and two for petrol bombing. In total over 50 people were injured, 200 arrests were made, one building and dozens of cars were destroyed, and several shops had been looted.

In a press conference on 30 September, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Wells described the shooting of Mrs Groce as tragic, and whilst recognising the resultant "genuine feelings, particularly those of the relatives and friends of Mrs Groce", blamed the riots on "an unruly criminal element."

Subsequent riots: Peckham, Toxteth and Tottenham

On 30 September in Peckham, south London, black youths began throwing petrol bombs and setting shops alight. A major fire at a carpet warehouse off Peckham High Street was reported.

On 1 October 1985, 10 people (including three police officers) were injured in a second riot in Toxteth on 1 October 1985, after crowds stormed the district's streets and stoned and burnt cars in response to the arrest of four local black men in connection with a stabbing. Merseyside Police Operational Support Division was deployed into the area to restore order and were later criticised by community leaders and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, Derek Worlock, for their "over zealous and provocative tactics", which included the drumming of batons on riot shields. Mrs Groce later received over £500,000 in compensation from the Metropolitan Police, but with no admission of liability.

In 2012 a blue plaque was installed at Cherry Groce's former home at 22 Normandy Road.

The Cherry Groce Memorial Pavilion was erected in Brixton's Windrush Square in 2021. It was designed by David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates. Groce's son, Lee Lawrence, described the memorial as "... a fitting tribute to my mother and to our community. The injustice done to my mother on 28 September, 1985 and its aftermath, catalysed our community to act together relentlessly and persistently in the pursuit of justice for more than three decades. Our achievements together in that effort can inspire us to continue to work together to make justice a reality across our society".

With both the Metropolitan Police and former Inspector Douglas Lovelock both to be represented at the inquest by Queen's Counsel, the Legal Aid Agency refused the Groce family funds on the grounds that "there are no new issues." The decision was subsequently overturned on 11 April 2014 by a ministerial discussion through the Ministry of Justice.

On 10 July 2014, the jury at Southwark Coroner's Court returned a verdict that concluded that eight separate police failures had contributed to Mrs Groce's death, and that her "subsequent death was contributed to by failures in the planning and implementation of the raid".

Michael Groce

After three days of hiding, Michael learnt via the television news about the shooting of his mother and the riots.

Cultural references

  • The 1986 Pet Shop Boys song "Suburbia", telling a story of boredom and (fictional) riots in suburbia, was partially influenced by the Brixton riots of 1981 and 1985, the latter of which was in recent memory when the single was released.
  • The 1987 film Sammy and Rosie Get Laid opens with an incident very similar to the Groce shooting.
  • The Law & Order: UK episode I Predict A Riot, first aired 26 March 2014, is about a fictional black undercover policeman who went missing during the 1985 Brixton riot.
  • The first episode of the three part series Life of Crime (May 2013) is set during the riot and uses the riot as a backdrop for a critical plot element.

See also

  • 1981 Brixton riot
  • 1995 Brixton riot
  • Broadwater Farm riot
  • Eleanor Bumpurs
  • "The Guns of Brixton"
  • Urban riots

References

  • BBC News Online – 'My mum got caught in the crossfire'
  • BBC News Online – 1985: Riots in Brixton after police shooting
  • BBC News Online – 1987: Officer cleared in Groce shooting case
  • Guardian Archives: Riots in Brixton After Police Shooting