1981 Chapeltown race riot
Encyclopedia
The Chapeltown Riots of 1981 took place in the Leeds
district of Chapeltown
in West Yorkshire
, England, during a time when many other areas of the UK were suffering similar problems (such as London, Birmingham
and Liverpool
). The riots unfolded in July 1981 from a background of racial tension, inner city deprivation
, poor housing
and high unemployment
(which was rising rapidly as a result of the recession
at the time). This brought high tension, particularly amongst the areas Caribbean community, culminating in attacks on the local police.
These weren't to be the last riots in the area. In 1987 there was further rioting in Chapeltown and in 2001 there was widespread rioting in nearby Harehills
. Racial tension was seen as a major factor in both riots.
Other riots in the UK the same year
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
district of Chapeltown
Chapeltown, West Yorkshire
Chapeltown is a suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British African-Caribbean community. It is approximately one mile north of Leeds city centre...
in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England, during a time when many other areas of the UK were suffering similar problems (such as London, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
). The riots unfolded in July 1981 from a background of racial tension, inner city deprivation
Deprivation
Deprivation may refer to:* Poverty* Relative deprivation* Sleep deprivation* Maternal deprivation...
, poor housing
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
and high unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
(which was rising rapidly as a result of the recession
Early 1980s recession
The early 1980s recession describes the severe global economic recession affecting much of the developed world in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The United States and Japan exited recession relatively early, but high unemployment would continue to affect other OECD nations through at least 1985...
at the time). This brought high tension, particularly amongst the areas Caribbean community, culminating in attacks on the local police.
These weren't to be the last riots in the area. In 1987 there was further rioting in Chapeltown and in 2001 there was widespread rioting in nearby Harehills
Harehills
Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately north east of Leeds city centre. Harehills is situated between the A58 and the A64 .- Overview :...
. Racial tension was seen as a major factor in both riots.
See also
- ChapeltownChapeltown, West YorkshireChapeltown is a suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British African-Caribbean community. It is approximately one mile north of Leeds city centre...
- HarehillsHarehillsHarehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately north east of Leeds city centre. Harehills is situated between the A58 and the A64 .- Overview :...
- Chapeltown riot (1975)
- Chapeltown riot (1987)
- Harehills riot
- List of race riots
Other riots in the UK the same year
- Brixton riots (1981) - London
- Handsworth riotsHandsworth riotsThe Handsworth riots may refer to:* 1981 Handsworth riots* 1985 Handsworth riots* 1991 Handsworth riots...
- Birmingham - Toxteth riotsToxteth riotsThe Toxteth riots of July 1981 were a civil disturbance in Toxteth, inner-city Liverpool, which arose in part from long-standing tensions between the local police and the black community...
- Liverpool