The Oldham Riots

[poliphilo]

The Oldham Riots of May 2001 (see previous post) were the single most important historical event ever to have happened in my general vicinity. We live less than a mile away from Glodwick- where the action was fiercest - and lay awake listening to the police helicopter chug-chug-chugging in circles overhead.

I thought and still think the riots were a good thing. Riots usually are. Nothing highlights injustice and advances the argument for social change better than a bit of arson and stone throwing. Of course, everyone in authority pretended to be shocked and horrified and the supposed ringleaders got sent to jail, but nothing would ever be quite the same again. The hitherto docile British Asian community had announced it wasn't standing for any more shit. Point made, point taken. 

Here's a poem I wrote at the time .

THE SECOND NIGHT

 

I wake at three to a knock on the door

And lie there quaking. There’s no-one there.

Oh, you can tell- there’s no feel of a person,

No tremble of presence in the ether,

No human vibe. I must have been dreaming.

What I took as a flurry of taps

Was the rattling of the helicopter,

Sweeping in circles above the house,

Watching the trouble that’s happening in Glodwick

This second night.

 

                              Last night the nazis

Broke some windows and bashed up a car

With a Pakistani woman in it

And so the young men on the estate,

Pakistanis and Bangladeshis,

Took to the streets, attacked three pubs

Where the nazis were drinking (or so they believed)

And petrol-bombed and bricked the ranks

Of heavily armoured riot police

Till dawn. They’re sick of being dissed

And over-looked.

 

                             When my pulse has slowed

To something like normal I leave the bed

And go to the window and look about

And there’s the chopper behind the trees,

A tiny, brilliant constellation,

Wheeling, with its searchlight beaming,

Down through drifting cloud or smoke,

To where the fight for respect is happening

Up on the hill. But our street is empty,

Grey and eerie. If I squint down

At an angle I can see the space

In front of our door where there’s nobody stood.

Comments

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

"I thought and still think the riots were a good thing. Riots usually are. Nothing highlights injustice and advances the argument for social change better than a bit of arson and stone throwing."

I think the only way you can say this is if you've never been caught up in the middle of a riot, or been the one whose house is burnt or had stones thrown at you. Or been shot at because you're in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't quite know how to answer this. It's true that I was never caught up in these riots- I had the sense not to go too near- but they were happening in my community and on streets I'm familiar with, so my pronouncements are not entirely ivory tower.

As a student I was involved in protest and civil disobedience and very exciting it was too.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

The problem with riots is that your sense is not always enough to protect you. Sometimes the riot comes to you and attacks you and tramples you and burns your house. They aren't controllable.

Obviously, I'm not convinced that they are a good thing. Nonviolent demonstrations, however, are a whole nother thing.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, I am thinking about our riots here in Oldham- and they were (if it's not a contradiction in terms) fairly well controlled riots. What basically happened is that the Asian community was attacked by a small band of white hooligans and they defended their territory- and launched attacks on one or two pubs where they believed the hooligans were drinking. Then the police moved in and there was a stand-off that lasted several nights. There was damage to property- mainly cars- but I don't believe anyone was seriously hurt.

Why...!

[msjann65.livejournal.com]

When the authorities do not pay heed to the concerns of the underdog, it usually takes a riot or two to get the attention of the public. I cannot help wondering why it is not possible to get action on a just cause by asking nicely. Why is it almost always necessary to resort to mass demonstrations, riots, or even violence before the powers that be take any kind of action, be it positive or negative?
1960's USA: peaceful demonstrations erupted into nazi-driven violence, which ultimately led to crowd-driven riots, such as Watts, coupled with demands by thousands to pass a civil rights act and to end that illegal war.
Where, oh where, are they now?
Strange, too, that in a democratic society the voice of the people is so often silenced by those who were elected to serve with the "advice and consent", etc.

Re: Why...!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think those in power are isolated from the rest of us. Even those with the best and most democratic intentions are shut off inside a bubble of privilege where the only people they talk to are other insiders. And so sometimes the only way to get their attention is to shout real loud and break things.