‘DEFEND YOURSELF, UNITY IS STRENGTH’
THE BRIXTON DEFENCE CAMPAIGN (1981-1985)
Background
The Brixton uprising took place on the weekend of the 10th-12th April 1981 and saw clashes between the predominantly Black youth of Brixton and the Metropolitan police force. By the end of the disturbances, 82 people had been arrested, at least 45 members of the public injured, 61 private vehicles and 56 police vehicles were damaged or destroyed and 145 premises damaged; 28 of them by fire. Further uprisings took place throughout the country in the months after April 1981.
The uprising in Brixton came after years of tensions between Black youths and the police. Although there has been a Black presence in Britain since Roman times, the large numbers of Black migrants at the end of the Second World War caused an overwhelming reaction of hostility, alienation, and the ‘othering’ of the Black presence in Britain after the war. Strict policing, or over-policing, of urban areas and the use of police powers such as stop and search, which was also known as the ‘Sus Law’, became a main point of contention. These powers were granted to the police under the 1824 Vagrancy Act and gave them power to stop and search citizens who were considered to be ‘loitering with intent’ without any evidence.
Stop and search powers disproportionately targeted young Black men who were being harassed and victimised by the police. The police used the tactic of high-profile, visible policing in urban areas to try and stem the threat of street crime, such as mugging, which was stereotyped as being perpetrated by young Black men. This tactic was most notably deployed in Brixton under ‘Operation Swamp’. In addition, the police showed little regard for the safety of the Black and Asian communities who were facing daily harassment and abuse at the hands of right-wing extremists and political parties, such as the National Front, contributing to the racial tension between Black and white communities.
[Image: GARRISON/2/2/17: Images and reflections, section four: 'SUS' the Black child and the law]
An excerpt from the oral history of founding member of ‘West Indian Parents Against ‘Sus’ Gee Bernard, discussing the origins of the ‘Sus’ law and it’s effects on the lives of young Black males.
TRANSCRIPT
Conditions
The worsening employment and housing conditions also contributed to the tension. Between 1979 and 1981 unemployment had almost doubled, taking the number of unemployed to nearly 3 million. By 1980, the country was well into another recession. In Brixton, at the time of the 1981 uprisings there were over 917,000 registered jobless under the age of 25 of whom 60,000 were under eighteen. Although unemployment affected many, it was the Black community who suffered most. While the 1965, 1968 and 1976 Race Relations Acts were watershed mandates to terminate covert and overt discriminatory practices in public and private spaces, years of racism and the ‘colour bar’ had placed many Black youths at the bottom of the educational attainment and employability. There had also been a significant cut in public spending, particularly at Local Government level. In areas such as Brixton and Tottenham, the housing stock was sub-standard and many struggled to find housing in the private rental sector due to direct and indirect racism.