On this day, 3 July 1981, in Southall, an area of London with a large south Asian population, riots broke out when racist skinheads attending a gig at the Hambrough Tavern began attacking Asian people. They assaulted an Asian woman, smashed the windows of Asian shops and looked for Asian homes to attack. Police failed to act, so the Asian community took the fight to the racists to defend themselves. They then ended up having to battle both the fascists and the police. By the end of the night the tavern had been burned to the ground and up to 60 police had been injured, while 33 arrests were made.
Learn more about the Asian struggle against racism in Britain at that time in our podcast episodes 33-34. Listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts or go to our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2019/09/18/e28-29-asian-youth-movements-in-bradford/ https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/2025771537607986/?type=3