The Brixton riots of 1995 began on 13 December after the death of a black 26-year-old, Wayne Douglas, in police custody. Douglas had allegedly robbed a couple in bed at knifepoint hours earlier. Trouble broke out after what had been a peaceful protest outside the Brixton Police Station where the death occurred. With several hundred people involved, the riot resulted in damage to property and vehicles in the area. Police sealed off a three-kilometre (2 mile) area around Brixton in south London.

The riot lasted for five hours. 22 people were arrested and charged with public order offences, theft and criminal damage. Three police officers were hurt.

The then-Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Heseltine, condemned the riots and said "efforts to improve Brixton would continue".

Death of Wayne Douglas

Wayne Douglas was in police custody to be questioned about a burglary. Police reported that he collapsed in Brixton Police Station. The police statement said that Douglas died after collapsing while being questioned. The post-mortem also revealed that Douglas had suffered from heart disease. The riot later developed into what police called "sporadic pockets of trouble in the area around Brixton town centre". The police stated that "We gave them every opportunity to move off peacefully but they hadn't done so."

Causes

The New York Times reported that local residents were outraged by the death of a black man in police custody and saw the riots as expression of alienation in an impoverished area devastated by race riots in 1981.

</blockquote>

SchNews quoted another local resident, identified as 'Joyce', as saying:

<blockquote>

People were putting up barricades. There were hundreds of people involved, mostly young black and white people and they were local, they weren't outsiders. This was a combination of black people dying in police custody and the way Brixton is at the moment. The place is being yuppified with City Challenge while unemployed centres, adventure playgrounds and libraries are getting shut.

See also

  • Brixton
  • Brixton riot (1981)
  • Brixton riot (1985)
  • 2011 London riots
  • Urban riots

References