New Cross Fire
Encyclopedia
The New Cross Fire was a devastating house fire which killed 13 young black people
during a birthday party in New Cross
, southeast London
on Sunday 18 January 1981. Some were shocked by what they perceived as the indifference of the white population, and accused the London Metropolitan Police of covering up the cause, which they suspected was an arson
attack motivated by racism
; the protest
s arising out of the fire led to a mobilisation of black political activity. Nobody has ever been charged in relation to the fire.
groups including the National Front
were active; there had been early complaints about noise from the party. The initial police suspicion was that the party had been bomb
ed either as a revenge attack or to stop the noise.
On Monday March 2 the Action Committee organised the 'Black People's Day of Action', when 20,000 people marched over a period of eight hours from Fordham Park to Hyde Park
with slogans including 'Thirteen Dead and Nothing Said', 'No Police Cover-Up' and 'Blood Ah Go Run If Justice No Come'. A telling slogan was 'Dame Jill Knight Set The Fire Alight!' A reference to a controversial speech by Dame Jill Knight, a right-wing member of the ruling Conservative party which was widely interpreted as condoning or even encouraging 'direct action' against noisy parties.
The march was overwhelmingly peaceful but The Sun
newspaper reported it with the headline "Day the Blacks Ran Riot in London". References in other newspapers were typically cursory mentions. None mentioned the fact that the march was cut in two at Blackfriars Bridge by the police. This unexplained action created delay, confusion and frustration, and was seen as a blatant attempt to stop the march. It also isolated the stewards and march leaders from the general public who had joined at the rear. The press indifference or hostility led to increasing division between some elements of the black and white communities.
Another party attendee, Anthony Berbeck died later, after falling from the balcony of a block of council flats in South London on 9 July 1983. He was at the party and became mentally disturbed following the death of his best friends.
into the deaths saw criticism of the police, although some witnesses admitted having lied in their statements. The coroner
's summary for the jury
was heavily directed towards suggesting the fire was accidental, and the jury returned an open verdict
which implied agreement. The victims' families challenged the procedure and while the High Court agreed that the summing-up was inaccurate, it refused to overturn the verdict.
In 2002 a new action in the High Court led to an order for a second inquest, which was held in 2004
. The second inquest also resulted in an open verdict, but in the intervening period more information had been discovered in police files and advances in forensic science had removed some of the uncertainty about how the fire had broken out. While there are still some who believe the fire to have been a result of arson, the belief that it was an accident is becoming increasingly accepted – although the criticisms of the initial police investigation and the public indifference are maintained.
’s '13 Dead' and Linton Kwesi Johnson
’s 'New Crass Massakkah'.
On 16th January 2011 a church service was held to remember the victims of the 1981 New Cross Fire, 30 years on.
The church has a strong connection with the young victims as many of them attended the youth club there. In October 2002, Lewisham Council installed a special stained glass window in their memory.
Speakers at the service include George Francis, Chair of the New Cross Fire Parents Committee, Sir Steve Bullock, and Joan Ruddock MP for Lewisham Deptford.
Date: 16 January 2011, 3pm
Venue: St Andrew’s Church, Brockley
In January 2011 the victims of the New Cross Fire were commemorated with a Blue Plaque from Nubian Jak
. The event was filmed by www.ReggaeTV.biz TV Channel and will be aired internationally from August 2011.
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
during a birthday party in New Cross
New Cross
New Cross is a district and ward of the London Borough of Lewisham, England. It is situated 4 miles south-east of Charing Cross. The ward covered by London post town and the SE 14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwich...
, southeast London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on Sunday 18 January 1981. Some were shocked by what they perceived as the indifference of the white population, and accused the London Metropolitan Police of covering up the cause, which they suspected was an arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
attack motivated by racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
; the protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
s arising out of the fire led to a mobilisation of black political activity. Nobody has ever been charged in relation to the fire.
The fire
The party was a joint birthday celebration for Yvonne Ruddock (who died) and Angela Jackson (who survived) and was held at 439 New Cross Road, going on throughout the night. There was a fairly high degree of racial tension in the area and far rightFar right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
groups including the National Front
British National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
were active; there had been early complaints about noise from the party. The initial police suspicion was that the party had been bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
ed either as a revenge attack or to stop the noise.
The aftermath
On the Sunday after the fire (January 25), a mass meeting was held at the Moonshot Club in New Cross, attended by over a thousand people. The meeting concluded with a march to the scene of the fire and a demonstration there, which blocked New Cross Road for several hours. The New Cross Massacre Action Committee was set up and organised weekly mass meetings in New Cross which saw increasing participation as the police investigation announced that there was no evidence of arson and that the fire was believed to be accidental.On Monday March 2 the Action Committee organised the 'Black People's Day of Action', when 20,000 people marched over a period of eight hours from Fordham Park to Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
with slogans including 'Thirteen Dead and Nothing Said', 'No Police Cover-Up' and 'Blood Ah Go Run If Justice No Come'. A telling slogan was 'Dame Jill Knight Set The Fire Alight!' A reference to a controversial speech by Dame Jill Knight, a right-wing member of the ruling Conservative party which was widely interpreted as condoning or even encouraging 'direct action' against noisy parties.
The march was overwhelmingly peaceful but The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper reported it with the headline "Day the Blacks Ran Riot in London". References in other newspapers were typically cursory mentions. None mentioned the fact that the march was cut in two at Blackfriars Bridge by the police. This unexplained action created delay, confusion and frustration, and was seen as a blatant attempt to stop the march. It also isolated the stewards and march leaders from the general public who had joined at the rear. The press indifference or hostility led to increasing division between some elements of the black and white communities.
Another party attendee, Anthony Berbeck died later, after falling from the balcony of a block of council flats in South London on 9 July 1983. He was at the party and became mentally disturbed following the death of his best friends.
The inquests
The inquestInquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
into the deaths saw criticism of the police, although some witnesses admitted having lied in their statements. The coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
's summary for the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
was heavily directed towards suggesting the fire was accidental, and the jury returned an open verdict
Open verdict
The Open verdict is an option open to a Coroner's jury at an Inquest in the legal system of England and Wales. The verdict strictly means that the jury confirms that the death is suspicious but is unable to reach any of the other verdicts open to them...
which implied agreement. The victims' families challenged the procedure and while the High Court agreed that the summing-up was inaccurate, it refused to overturn the verdict.
In 2002 a new action in the High Court led to an order for a second inquest, which was held in 2004
. The second inquest also resulted in an open verdict, but in the intervening period more information had been discovered in police files and advances in forensic science had removed some of the uncertainty about how the fire had broken out. While there are still some who believe the fire to have been a result of arson, the belief that it was an accident is becoming increasingly accepted – although the criticisms of the initial police investigation and the public indifference are maintained.
Commemoration
The tragedy was commemorated in a number of reggae songs and poems at the time, including Johnny Osbourne’s '13 Dead and Nothing Said', Benjamin ZephaniahBenjamin Zephaniah
Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah is an English writer and dub poet. He is a well-known figure in contemporary English literature, and was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008....
’s '13 Dead' and Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson is a UK-based dub poet. He became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Classics series. His poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British...
’s 'New Crass Massakkah'.
On 16th January 2011 a church service was held to remember the victims of the 1981 New Cross Fire, 30 years on.
The church has a strong connection with the young victims as many of them attended the youth club there. In October 2002, Lewisham Council installed a special stained glass window in their memory.
Speakers at the service include George Francis, Chair of the New Cross Fire Parents Committee, Sir Steve Bullock, and Joan Ruddock MP for Lewisham Deptford.
Date: 16 January 2011, 3pm
Venue: St Andrew’s Church, Brockley
In January 2011 the victims of the New Cross Fire were commemorated with a Blue Plaque from Nubian Jak
Nubian Jak
This article is about the board game Nubian Jak. For information on its founder, see Jak Beula. For the Nubian Jak UK game show that ran from 2004–2005, see Who Knows Jak...
. The event was filmed by www.ReggaeTV.biz TV Channel and will be aired internationally from August 2011.