The Oldham Riots - 10 years on

The Asian News marked the 10th anniversary of the Oldham riots earlier this year with a series of insightful articles around the disturbances. Even before 9/11, those disturbances back then were to transform the way Britain viewed its Muslim communities, and also the way many Muslims viewed themselves.

Ten years on and we have witnessed more wide spread civil disturbances, but not in predominantly Muslim areas. In reflecting back, what can we learn today? In order to learn lessons, OBV will be running the full series of articles the Asian News produced to mark the Oldham Riots - 10 years on.

From the Asian News:

It was an argument between two teenagers, living just streets apart, which sparked the darkest day in Oldham’s history. It was the evening of Saturday, May 26, 2001. The flashpoint was on Roundthorn Road, in the predominately Asian district of Glodwick. A group of Asian boys had been playing cricket near the Good Taste chip shop, when they fell into an argument with two white children.

Words turned into blows and the disturbance spilled on to the doorstep of the home of resident Sharon Hoy, 38. She called her brother Darren, 25, who was drinking at a pub in the centre of Oldham, with the message that ‘a P*** had kicked the door in’.

Soon after, two carloads of white men arrived and began attacking Asian people and properties at random.

The home of the Azam family, whose daughter Fareeda was 34 weeks' pregnant, was besieged as bricks were thrown. She was taken to hospital suffering from shock. A shopkeeper was forced to escape through the back door as the windows were smashed.

Police arrived and arrested several white people, but also a number of Asian men allegedly involved in reprisals.

To many Asian residents, it seemed to confirm their long-held perception of bias against them, and they vented their anger on the officers.

One resident involved in the violence, now in his 30s, said: "A woman on Elgin Road had her window put through. We told the police where to go and who these people were and they just stood there doing nothing. They then arrested a Pakistani lad who had just been defending himself."

But the accusation of bias was vigorously denied by Chief Supt Eric Hewitt, then head of Oldham police. He said at the time: "I completely refute that. There was an incident, the police were there quickly and three white men were arrested." Residents on Roundthorn Road cowered in their houses, while a large crowd of Asian men gathered.

Just after 11pm, the Live and Let Live pub was attacked. A firebomb was thrown before rioters stormed in and attacked drinkers. A stand off between police and up to 500 Asian youths continued until the early hours. Officers faced a hail of petrol bombs, bricks and bottles from rioters hiding behind barricades of furniture, wooden pallets, and burning tyres.

One policeman who was called to the scene said: "We were told to suit up in our riot gear and quickly briefed on what had been happening. They just needed everyone they could get to go to Glodwick."

Ian Gradwell, whose family business was next to the pub, said: "The street was strewn with broken bottles and tyres the next day. It was like something from a film set." The rioting spread to the town centre and other areas. The Jolly Carter pub on Lees Road was firebombed, while the windows of a newspaper office were smashed.

The violence continued into Sunday. Around 100 men threw up barricades in Westwood, blocking the road and attacking passing motorists.

Sporadic outbreaks of violence continued throughout the week - and tensions remained. Police maintained high visibility patrols in the area until months afterwards.

The long-term causes went much deeper than a simple spat between schoolboys. A series of high-profile incidents had created the powderkeg conditions.

Among them was the attack on war veteran Walter Chamberlain, 76, by three Asian youths, who allegedly challenged him for entering ‘their area’.

Police and council leaders vigorously denied the suggestion that ‘no-go’ areas existed. But their words seemed at odds with the spate of racist incidents.

The underlying problems of poverty and unemployment in a town which once produced more than a tenth of the world’s cotton, were blamed as long-term causes of the violence. But a major report by civil servant David Ritchie also highlighted the town’s deeply-segregated neighbourhoods, with communities living alienated and apart from each other. Darren and Sharon Hoy, along with a group of eight others, were convicted for affray and jailed for nine months for their part in the riot.

GMP’s costs for the summer of violence totalled £2.2m. A total of 82 officers and 22 passers-by were injured, and hundreds of arrests had been made. The trouble spilled over and there was violence in Bradford, Leeds, Burnley, and Stoke. But the most widespread problems remained in Oldham.

Deep-seated divisions had nearly torn the town apart, and the speed and scale of the violence had taken everyone aback. Something had to be done.

This is a first of a series of articles from the Asian News which OBV will be running on the 10th anniversary of the Oldham Riots.