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Race Relations Acts 1965 - 2000

Below are the Race Relations Acts 1965 - 2000.

Back to the week 2 - Race Equality in the UK page.

New Cross Fire

In the early hours of January 18, 1981, a fire occurred during a party at a house in New Cross, south east London. The blaze killed 13 young people aged 14 to 22.

New Cross at that time had a high degree of racial tension with far right groups being active locally.

One week after the fire, a meeting was held and a Black People’s Day of Action was established. On March 2, 20,000 people marched from Fordham Park to Hyde Park carrying placards that read “Thirteen Dead, Nothing Said” and “Blood Ah Go Run if Justice No Come”.

Whilst walking through Fleet Street, they were met with alleged monkey chants and abused verbally. The next day The Sun ran with the headline “Day the Blacks Ran Riot in London.”

No one has ever been charged in connection to the fire.

Page updated: 09/10/2020 Page updated by: Gloucestershire County Council

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