8 The Clash, “White Riot,” by Joe Strummer and Mic Jones, on The Clash, Sony Music UK, 1977, remaster (.)ĤHowever, at least one witness, who used the stage name Joe Strummer, found inspiration in the riot.7 Joe Strummer in The Clash: Westway to the World, directed by Don Letts (Sony Music, 2000), DVD (Son (.).In this context it is unsurprising that a chart-topping 1977 single claimed, “There is no future in England’s dreaming 6.” At this moment in 1976, Britain was talking itself into a crisis. He thus implied that the confrontation at Notting Hill was as deeply rooted as ‘the Troubles’ in Ulster which had already fueled the death of approximately two thousand people since its outbreak less than a decade earlier. In fact, journalist David Leigh connected the conflict between black and white Londoners at Notting Hill to another battle raging in the United Kingdom by directly comparing the West-Indian community’s relationship with the police to that of Catholics and the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland 5. Street violence and terrorist bombings punctuated British life. 6 Sex Pistols, “God Save the Queen,” on Never mind the Bollocks, Warner Brothers Records Inc., 1977, (.)ģIn addition, the Notting Hill Riot was not a unique occurrence during the late 1970s and early 1980s.Social Violence and the Causes of the Riots By the end of the night 250 people were injured, nearly half of which were police, and 68 people had been arrested 2. The rioters, who were primarily black, fought pitched battles with the police, looted stores, and lit cars on fire. Carnival goers lashed out against the police by showering the officers with bottles. The police entered the crowd and began to exert their authority by targeting and arresting black teenagers whom they accused of being pickpockets. Their prediction came to fruition on the festival’s last day. As one reporter wrote, “Lines of police officers shepherded the steel bands with assiduity I have only seen otherwise during National Front marches 1.” By treating these bands like confrontational far-right nationalists, the police clearly anticipated trouble with the crowd. However, throughout the carnival, tension permeated the air. As reggae and steel drum bands played, the festival acted as a place for London’s black residents to come together and celebrate their community. 2 Stewart Tendler, “250 People are Hurt as Notting Hill Carnival erupts into riot,” Times August 31, (.)ġOn 30 August 1976, the Notting Hill Carnival, which celebrated West-Indian culture, came to an explosive end.1 David Leigh, “Confrontation recalls 1958 riots,” Times August 31, 1976.
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