74:. Agreements made in this meeting were later disputed. James Anderton stated in his official report about the riots that per request from the community leaders, he ordered his officers to maintain a low profile and avoid further confrontations, to allow the leaders time to ease tension among the young people and disperse the crowds. The community leaders that attended the meeting denied that they had demanded that police withdraw from Moss Side. Anderton later told the Greater Manchester Police Committee that the community leaders had failed to deliver on their promise to restore peace and were simply unable to admit their lack of influence over the people engaged in the rioting.
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band, drew criticism. Among others, a local community organiser looking to help the injured was stopped and verbally abused by police. County councillor and vice-chair of the police
Gabrielle Cox described the events as "the death of the community". After the riots there were allegations from local residents, community leaders and lawyers that groups of police officers in vans had been observed cruising the streets of Moss Side during the riots, racially abusing and using indiscriminate violence against any young people seen on the streets.
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On 8 July 1981, a crowd of more than 1,000 youths besieged the police station at Moss Side, Manchester. All windows in the building were broken, and twelve police vehicles were set on fire. Police reinforcements equipped with riot shields and protective crash helmets were deployed around the station.
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Outside of the affected area, Anderton's handling of riots received praise from the wider media, politicians, and public. The use of snatch squads and vehicles to disperse rioters was unique in
British public order policing at that time, and the response of Greater Manchester Police was contrasted
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The Moss Side protests ended on the night of 11 July, when
Anderton ordered his officers to advance and clear the streets of protesters in a massive show of force. James Anderton had used the previous two days to build up enough officers trained and equipped in public order tactics. A mobile task
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The police response to the riot resulted in a new low in confidence in the police in the local area. The absence of police during the looting on
Princess Road followed by a large-scale police response afterward which resulted in the assault and arrest of innocent people, including a local reggae
154:"When trouble arises and violence occurs on the street, you hit it fast and hard. And that's what we did the following night. We hit the rioters fast and hard with all the force at our disposal-legitimate and lawful force-and we crushed the riots in Manchester in 24 hours."
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It has been reported that
Anderton had earlier given a speech to the assembled officers at Moss Side Police Station encouraging them to restore order as rapidly as possible and promising them his full support in the event of any complaints of excessive force.
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said that "police used to criminalise young people for no good reason", and that the community saw the hypocrisy of certain officers who stopped and searched youths in Moss Side while on duty but drank and smoked at the area's illegal
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Over two hours, 150 people were arrested with no police injuries reported. Afterwards, the Moss Side section of
Princess Road (a main road south from Manchester centre) was closed for several days while adjacent buildings and
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had been assembled in local police stations around the area of protests. As part of the planned dispersal operation, Anderton authorized use of vehicle based rapid dispersal tactics; previously only used by the
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Interviewed in a 1992 BBC documentary on his career following his retirement as Chief
Constable of Greater Manchester, James Anderton described his strategy during the Moss Side riots:
86:(GMP) and the efforts of the community leaders failed to stop the protests which lasted for some 48 hours over two nights, with much burning and looting of shops all the way down
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33:. The protests at Moss Side started at the local police station and later moved into the surrounding streets over two days. Key factors seen as fuel for this protest were
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Estate, which had been at the centre of the riots. The estate had poor housing and was a focal point for drug dealing in
Manchester. In 2005 Chief Constable
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established a community-centred policing structure for Moss Side, consisting of dedicated staff of an inspector, four sergeants and 35 constables.
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helped transport victims of the Moss Side protest to hospital, and later sat on the Hytner inquiry panel investigating the causes of the unrest.
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In the long term, investment totalling £400 million into the community improved conditions in the area. This particularly focused on the
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41:. Unemployment was at a post-war high across the nation during 1981, but was much higher than the national average in Moss Side.
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A second attempt was made by crowds to attack the police station and during this a policeman was shot with a
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Moss Side riots: How investment in housing and education is helping change lives
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said that the police had simply not met the needs of the community. Academic
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Actions against memorials in Great Britain during the George Floyd protests
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in the force. Anderton declined to comment on the 25th anniversary review.
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Moss Side riots: The night years of anger exploded in an orgy of violence
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of Greater Manchester met with local community leaders including
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Manchester Evening News - Moss Side Riots 25 Years On
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360:Race and riots in Thatcher's Britain
485:1768 Massacre of St George's Fields
340:(2013-01-18). Retrieved 2020-07-04.
324:(2011-07-04). Retrieved 2020-07-04.
194:while off-duty. In 1998 during the
870:1999 Carnival Against Capital riot
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1142:1981 crimes in the United Kingdom
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113:British Army in Northern Ireland
45:Initial riot and police response
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850:1994 Criminal Justice Bill riot
410:1189–1190 Massacres of the Jews
174:, and the Merseyside police in
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709:1974 Red Lion Square disorders
653:1932 Old Market riot (Bristol)
82:The "low profile" approach of
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960:2011 London anti-cuts protest
585:1838 Battle of Bossenden Wood
541:1816 Ely and Littleport riots
515:1795 Revolt of the housewives
354:Google search for information
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668:1943 Battle of Bamber Bridge
600:1866 Hyde Park demonstration
420:1355 St Scholastica Day riot
98:force of 560 officers in 50
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663:1936 Battle of Cable Street
495:1776 Nottingham cheese riot
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658:1932 National Hunger March
648:1919 Luton Peace Day riots
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1020:2024 United Kingdom riots
792:Murder of Keith Blakelock
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724:1979 Death of Blair Peach
643:1919 Battle of Bow Street
204:Greater Manchester Police
109:Royal Ulster Constabulary
84:Greater Manchester Police
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595:1865 Leeds dripping riot
510:1793 Bristol Bridge riot
719:1977 Battle of Lewisham
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338:Manchester Evening News
322:Manchester Evening News
142:Conclusion and response
134:Anti-racism campaigner
970:Killing of Mark Duggan
922:Death of Ian Tomlinson
830:1991 Meadow Well riots
704:1970 Garden House riot
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362:(2019) by Simon Peplow
242:Chapeltown riot (1981)
206:stated that there was
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54:bolt through his leg.
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1117:History of Manchester
1107:Black British history
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777:1985 Handsworth riots
770:1981 Handsworth riots
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39:early 1980s recession
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296:1 March 2011 at the
208:institutional racism
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1112:Crime in Manchester
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678:1945 Aldershot riot
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31:protesting
27:Manchester
125:gas mains
23:Moss Side
1066:Riot Act
980:Timeline
473:Riot Act
294:Archived
238:- London
225:See also
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187:Gus John
92:Rusholme
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1033:Reports
244:- Leeds
202:of the
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172:Brixton
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102:and
308:MEN
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25:in
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279:^
390:e
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376:v
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