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Reasons Behind The Ethnic Riots in Oldham
By Sahar Kassaimah
13/06/2001
In the wake of one of Britain's worst cases of racial violence in a decade, inhabitants of the town of Oldham are enduring extraordinary pressure from the recent riots and clashes between Asian and white youths, which started at a very sensitive time in the U.K. - just ten days before general elections in the country.
Although incumbent Tony Blair and his Labor Party defeated the Conservatives led by William Hague, who subsequently resigned as Tory leader of the party, questions remain about race relations in Britain; the situation between Asians and Africans; and the real reasons behind the latest violence between Asian and white youths.
However, as some blame racism - insisting that there is still a white Anglo - British superiority complex whereby there is a refusal to respect others as equals and grant them equal human rights - other reasons behind the unrest and the social situation of minorities in the U.K. can be blamed on poverty, unemployment, and health and education problems. A third opinion connects the riots with the general election.
How did the violence start?
The troubles started on Saturday, May 26 in Oldham, which is located in northwest England, when white and Asian youths rioted - throwing petrol bombs and stones at pubs and vehicles - after a gang of white youths threw bricks at a house belonging to a Bangladeshi family. At least 20 people were injured in the riots, including fifteen officers, and 37 people were arrested.
"It's Asians and whites involved in the troubles generally," said a police spokesman.
The following day, smaller riots also broke out. About 500 youths hurled bricks and firebombs and battled with police for the second night in a row. This time the law enforcement officials were out in full force. One hundred police officers reported to the scene in full riot gear and patrolled with dogs as helicopters circled overhead.
Twelve vehicles were damaged, with six being set on fire. The office of the local newspaper,
The Oldham Chronicle, as well as another shop owned by an Asian, were also targeted.
Days later, and for the second time in as many weeks, riots again broke out when Asian youths clashed with police in Leeds. Hundreds of youths in a Bangladeshi neighborhood hurled bricks at police and set a car on fire. According to residents, the outburst of anger followed the arrest and physical abuse by police of Hassan Mir, a Bangladeshi Leeds resident.
"They took this man, they arrested him, kicked him and sprayed gas at him in front of Asian people," said one of the witnesses.
"It is not a racist attack, this is because of police inaction," added another witness.
Mir, 28, a part-time chef who has two children, made an official complaint against the officers and commented on the riots saying, "I did not encourage or support last night violence. Nor do I want any further violence using the Sunday incident as an excuse."
"I think everyone who has a possible grudge against the police came out of the woodwork to cause mischief. They are destroying our community."
Oldham, which has a large ethnic minority population, has been the scene of increasing tension in recent months with a series of rallies being hosted by the ultra-right wing National Front, a small group that opposes the presence of blacks, Asians, Jews and other racial and ethnic minorities in Britain.
The Reasons Behind the Violence?
Oldham community leaders said that the violence was sparked by a gang of white men attacking a shop and throwing a brick through the window of a house where a pregnant Asian woman lived. When asked about the reasons for the violence, Ashid Ali, leader of the Bangladesh Youth Association pointed to outsiders saying, "Right wing extremists and members of the National Front [NF] have been trying to stir trouble every Saturday for five weeks, and for the main part, the police response has been adequate."
"But when a gang of whites came into Asian areas and began assaulting people and smashing up homes and businesses, the Asian youths felt they had to protect their community," added Ali. "It's very difficult to control a crowd when there's so much anger and distress."
Ali, however, did not spare the police as he accused them of treating white and Asian youths differently during the clashes. "For example, in the Westwood area last night, there was a gang of white men at a pub shouting racial abuse and trying to cause trouble. They were confronted by a group of Asian youths, but then the police arrived and escorted them [the whites] away peacefully. Then the police came back and [attacked] the Asian youth with riot gear."
Ali is not alone in accusing the NF and other right wing extremists of sparking the violence. In an interview with
The Guardian, Richard Knowles, Liberal Democrat leader of Oldham Council, accused the anti-immigrant British National Party (BNP) and the NF of stirring up tension and race hate, saying that he and others had appealed to the Asian communities, who represent 14% of the town's population, to restrain from responding to provocation. "They [the BNP and NF] are evil racists and there are no two ways about it," said Knowles. He also blamed social factors, such as high unemployment and poor housing for the racial tension.
Chief Superintendent Eric Hewitt, Oldham police head, also attributed the latest violence to the presence of both the National Front and the British National Party, both groups being groups that have struck fear into the heart of the local community. "The presence of the NF and the BNP in recent weeks seems to be a deliberate ploy to exploit our racial situation, and it has struck a chord of fear among all communities," said Hewitt. "I have spoken to the leader of the NF and written to him explaining it would be helpful if they stayed away…[but]…they haven't stayed away," added Hewitt.
The NF and BNP, which fielded three general election candidates, in both Oldham and in the greater district, have begun a "boycott Asian business" campaign. Knowles commented on them saying, "these are not people of the respectable right."
"They are far right racists. They have evil intent, and they have been whipping up tensions in the town for some considerable time. The fact that the national organizer of the BNP [Nick Griffin] is standing in one seat shows that they regard this as a prime area to raise tensions in."
"The BNP are not campaigning in the way traditional parties campaign, with reasoned literature. Their method is race hatred and they have had all the headlines… Their tactic is to heighten the tension, provoke a reaction and then withdraw. So, all the media messages are then of Asians battling with the police. Then, the BNP and NF say, 'we told you so.'"
"We have told them [the Asian population] they are playing into the hands of extremists by responding. By and large we have been successful. But on Saturday night, those appeals fell on deaf ears," said Knowles.
On the other hand, Mick Tracy, BNP candidate for Oldham East, denied that he is a racist, saying, "I think that at the time of an election campaign, Mr. Knowles wants to keep his mouth shut… By law we are allowed to campaign and we are entitled to put our opinions across."
The ultra-right-wing National Front is also accusing Asian gangs of starting the violence, claiming they had declared "no-go areas" for whites.
Home Minister Jack Straw said that the violence was initially set off by whites and later, more seriously, involved Asians. Amid the difficult situation and the sensitive timing of the riots, everyone was trying to defend himself and his party and to put the responsibility on the shoulders of others.
Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman, announced on a television program that the language used by William Hague, then leader of the Conservative Party, might have helped indirectly in sparking racial tensions.
"It may not have a direct effect, but it doesn't help and in some cases it may well encourage people to think they can get away with intolerant language and intolerant attitudes and sometimes intolerant behavior."
Responding to Hughes' assertion, Hague said, "It's an accusation made by parties to play the race card themselves."
Michael Meacher, while standing for re-election as MP for Oldham West and Royton, told BBC that white youths had gone to their former school and taunted Asian youths, leading to a brawl.
"Then on Saturday, the day of the main riot, a white youth known for his racist views was arrested by the police in the town center and his mates a little later attacked a Pakistani shop near Glodwick … and allegedly assaulted a Pakistani woman," he said.
On the Glodwick estate, and in the nearby Westwood area of the town, some 90% of residents are either of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tony Blair backed the police, confirming that the riots were not a true reflection of race relations in Britain. "The vast majority of people want to live in peace and prosperity together."
However, what led to the violence remains unclear. But, it seems that there is a combination of factors consisting of racial intolerance, mistrust of the police, poverty, and unemployment. At the same time, no one can ignore the barefaced role that right-wing extremists have played in first sparking the violence and then blaming it on Asians in order to prove that their points and opinions against immigrants are correct.
Regardless, violence is not the right way to solve problems, and yet, it is also difficult for Asians to be treated as strangers in their own homes. If the parents of Asian youths were immigrants, the new generation is not…and should be classified as residents.
According to MSNBC, minorities in Great Britain, mainly from the Caribbean, South Asia, Africa and China, constitute about five percent of Britain's 57 million, with around 300,000 of them being Bangladeshi and with many actually being born in Britain.
Due to the official racial classification system in Great Britain, individuals originating from the Far East and South Asia are categorized as "Asian". British societal and cultural norms also feature in ethnic relations in the U.K., producing norms in which "Asians" are often lumped together with people originating from Africa under the label "Black".
It is now the government's role to control the feelings and actions resulting from racial hatred by some whites in these areas. When Asians finally start feeling that there is no racism in schools, on the streets, at work, or anywhere else, and when they feel that they belong to the country, on par with British Anglos, only then can the problem be solved.
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