The Oldham Riots
Nov. 14th, 2010 10:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poliphiloThe Oldham riots of May 2001 have branded the town. You'd think from the way they're remembered- from the way Khalid remembers them- that the whole place was in flames. In fact they were highly localised- confined to one or two streets. We live less than a mile from the epicentre and all we heard or saw was the police helicopter chugging overhead.
Oldham does have a problem with race. It simmers under. The Asian communities had been harassed and taunted and put upon for decades and finally the anger boiled over. No-one was seriously hurt, a few cars were burned, the police got a smacking they almost certainly deserved, the windows of one or two racist pubs were put in- and notice had been served that things had to change. I've always thought the rioters deserved our thanks.
Oldham does have a problem with race. It simmers under. The Asian communities had been harassed and taunted and put upon for decades and finally the anger boiled over. No-one was seriously hurt, a few cars were burned, the police got a smacking they almost certainly deserved, the windows of one or two racist pubs were put in- and notice had been served that things had to change. I've always thought the rioters deserved our thanks.
