1987 Chapeltown riot

The Chapeltown riots of 1987 took place in the Leeds district of Chapeltown in West Yorkshire, England. Widespread rioting in Chapeltown also occurred in 1975 and 1981. During the 1981 riots, rioting took place not only in Chapeltown, but also in London, Birmingham and Liverpool.^[1]

The riots of 1987 began Sunday, 21 June, when a black teenager, 17 year old Marcus Skellington, was arrested and beaten by police.^[2]^[3] It is estimated that 70 teenagers participated in smashing shop windows, looting and attacking police officers 22 and 21 June. On 23 June, shops, cars, and windows were burned, bombed and stoned, including a sex shop which was completely burnt down.^[3]^[4] The burning of the sex shop was particularly significant for two reasons. First, it was not widely supported or wanted by the local community and had been protested prior to the riots. Second, it was believed that the police carried out surveillance of the Hayfield Pub car park for marijuana dealing from above the sex shop, despite the sex shop operating illegally at times.^[3]

References

^ "Chapeltown - the story of a troubled Leeds suburb". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
^ "Watch Chapeltown: One Year On". BFI Player. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Chapeltown, Leeds, UK : June 1987 - Documentary about riots after the arrest of Marcus Skellington". 13 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
^ News From Everywhere. News From Everywhere Chronology. p. 17.

External links

Chapeltown: One Year One. 1987. Documentary. Yorkshire Film Archives.

Riots in England

12th–17th centuries

1189–1190 Massacres of the Jews
The revolt of 1196
1355 St Scholastica Day riot
1381 Peasants' Revolt
- Treason Act 1381
1517 Evil May Day
1668 Bawdy House riots

18th century

19th century

20th century

1900s–1960s	1907 Brown Dog riots 1919 Epsom riot 1919 Battle of Bow Street 1919 Luton Peace Day riots 1932 Old Market riot (Bristol) 1932 National Hunger March 1936 Battle of Cable Street 1943 Battle of Bamber Bridge 1944 Park Street riot 1945 Aldershot riot 1958 Notting Hill race riots 1968 student riots
1970s	1970 Garden House riot 1974 Red Lion Square disorders 1975 Chapeltown riot 1977 Battle of Lewisham 1979 Death of Blair Peach
1980s	1980 St Pauls riot 1981 England riots 1981 Brixton riot 1981 Chapeltown riots 1981 Toxteth riots 1981 Moss Side riot 1981 Handsworth riots 1985 Handsworth riots 1985 Brixton riot 1985 Broadwater Farm riot Murder of Keith Blakelock 1987 Chapeltown riot 1989 Dewsbury riot
1990s	1990 Poll Tax riots 1990 Strangeways Prison riot 1991 Meadow Well riots 1991 Handsworth riots 1992 Hartcliffe riot (Bristol) 1993 Welling riots 1994 Criminal Justice Bill riot 1995 Manningham riot 1995 Brixton riot 1996 Trafalgar Square riots 1999 Carnival Against Capital riot

21st century

2000s	2001 Bradford riots 2001 Oldham riots 2001 Harehills riot 2005 Birmingham riots 2009 G20 London summit protests Death of Ian Tomlinson 2009 Upton Park riot
2010s	2010 UK student protests 2011 Stokes Croft riot (Bristol) 2011 UK anti-austerity protests 2011 London anti-cuts protest 2011 England riots Killing of Mark Duggan House of Reeves fire Timeline
2020s	George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom Actions against memorials in Great Britain during the George Floyd protests 2022 Leicester unrest