Ten years after the riots broke out Toxtes The changes caused by the unrest led to a “complete transformation” Liverpool
During the nine days of chaos in July 1981, 468 policemen were injured, 500 people were arrested, and 70 buildings were severely damaged by the fire and had to be demolished.
The riots took place on July 5 and 6. The violence was the most serious and was triggered by the arrest of a young black man.
In the following four years, the city experienced a huge revival. In 2008, it was named the European Capital of Culture, with an annual tourism economic value of 4.9 billion pounds. This year, the first black mayor was elected.
Mainly Michael Heseltine When he became Minister of the Environment two years ago, he felt a sense of “personal responsibility” when he saw the riots.
This Conservative Peer was freed from Liverpool in 2012, and he is already working on an urban regeneration plan.
He told the PA News Agency: “I have been involved for two years and I have not yet realized the seriousness of this problem.”
Lord Heseltine stated that the riots “injected a certain degree of urgency” into the plan.
But for others, the shocking scene is predictable.
70-year-old Dave Clay was working on the Merseyside Community Relations Committee and a member of the Liverpool Negro Organization. He said he had warned the parliamentary committee of trouble in 1980.
Mr. Clay is the author of “Liverpool Black History”. He cited issues such as employment, housing, education, and the relationship between the police and the black community.
He said: “My feeling was against the police.
“In any case, I have no doubt that the police have been racists for most of my life.”
He said that although he has been focusing on organizing communities to solve problems, the younger generation reacted differently.
“We can say they should have or they should not have, but they did,” he said.
“The police escalated the matter and turned it into a major and major confrontation.”
After the riots, Lord Heseltine spent three weeks in Liverpool and worked on projects in the area for the next 18 months.
He said that he told people at the time that there was no “active movement” or “leadership.”
However, he said that when he returned to the city in 2011, the difference was “absolutely shocking.”
He said: “Everyone we see has an idea and said that if you help us, you give us a chance, we can make things happen.
“This is a complete change.”
Even now, after the city’s main hotel and tourism industries have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic, Lord Heseltine has stated that he does not believe Liverpool will return to where it was in the early 1980s.
He said: “I think the system has made great progress. There are many companies in the public and private sectors.”
Mr. Clay was a member of the L8 National Defense Committee, which was formed to provide support to residents during the riots. He agreed that the riots brought changes, but not necessarily the changes the community wanted.
He said: “They took away the soul of the community.”
He said that as people moved out of the area, many buildings were demolished and communities were torn apart.
He said that improvements in the area were aimed at attracting the middle class, and the investment in the city did not empower black companies.
However, Mr. Clay admitted that Liverpool now has the first black member of Parliament, Kim Johnson, and he saw the first black member of Parliament. mayor When Anna Rothery took office in 2019, Joanne Anderson, the first black city mayor, was elected this year.
He said: “I know that many young black people are opening the door.
“Not all negative.”
