North, South, Midlands Riot round-up

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THE INCIDENT that started the Toxteth riots was typical of the tactics of the police in the area_over the last few months.

A black youth riding a motorcycle was stopped and harassed by police. But this time the local youth decided to show their anger at this police provocation and attempted to rescue him.

The next day, Saturday, coachloads of police were shipped into the area, and the already inflammable police/youth relationship finally blew up.

Rioting went on throughout Saturday night, with stone-throwing youth capturing part of Upper Parliament Street. The fighting began again at 7am, this time more organised. 600 youth threw petrol bombs and some of them captured police helmets and riot equipment.

Buildings used by the local community, such as the Caribbean Centre and local pubs, were left alone.

The hospital that the Tory press said was attacked, was left alone by rioters and guarded by them from police while ambulances and taxis evacuated it.

Shops were emptied and burnt out, and cars were set alight and used for barricades to keep out the police. MANCHESTER Fuhrer James Anderton first described the Moss Side rioting as a 'serious crime' and simply a case of 'arson and serious looting' He tried to diffuse the riots, saying he was not interested in confrontation. But he soon changed his tune.

On the third night of rioting, he described the riots as 'guerilla warfare and real anarchy' With the help of the Tactical Action Group (Manchester's SPG), Anderton went on the offensive, and there were vicious police attacks.

In other parts of the North, Blackpool, Newcastle, Preston, Blackburn, Leeds, and parts of West Yorkshire, there were riots resulting 500 arrests.

WHEN Leicester finally erupted - on the 1lth, 12th and 13th - after days of an intense atmosphere in the city, the SPG came straight in from London.

Most arrests were made outside the main riot area of Highfields, where the SPG spent three days (in their words ) 'taking a hiding', dodging in and out of the estate, not knowing where they were going. THE RIOTS in Birmingham exposed the idea of 'community policing' for what it is. While the riots in Toxteth, Brixton and Moss Side were going on, the community 'leaders' and the police were saying that it could never happen to the multi-racial town of Birmingham...

The riots and their direction against the police showed that 'community policing' is nothing more than a delicate pact between the police, racerelations people, and middle class community leaders that has nothing to do with the black or white youth in the area.

THE DETERMINATION of the youth in Wolverhampton was expressed not only in the riot - in which 40 youth were arrested - but later in the attempt in court to rescue youths appearing in the dock. The 'quiet-looking' policemen standing around quickly responded, truncheons in hand.

With unemployment at 13%, and much higher for youth, there was certainly going to be an uprising in the Midlands. Other towns affected were Nottingham and Derby