Urban riots

Riots often occur in reaction to a perceived grievance or out of dissent. Riots may be the outcome of a sporting event, although many riots have occurred due to poor working or living conditions, government oppression, conflicts between races or religions. [ [http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/riot Riot - encyclopedia article about Riot ] ]

Rapid urbanisation has led to the rise of urban riots, often inner city. John F. McDonald and Daniel P. McMillen have identified the Watts Riots, Los Angeles, 1965, as the first "urban riots" in the US. The analesys of urban riots in terms of urban conditions influenced the emerging field of urban economics in the 1960s.John F. McDonald and Daniel P. McMillen, Urban Economics and Real Estate, Theory and Practice, Blackwell, 2006, pg.368]

Causes of Urban Riots

Riots have occurred before the rapid urbanisation starting in the mid-20th Century, hence the occurrence of riots in urban areas in itself is not special. While a riot may be initially sparked by a specific event, scholars, commentators and commissions have sought to identify the deeper reasons and have identified a number urban conditions that may underline urban riots. These urban conditions are often associated with urban decay more generally and may include: discrimination, poverty, high unemployment, poor schools, poor healthcare, housing inadequacy and police brutality and bias.

List of Urban Riots

This is a list of riots that have occurred in the context of urban conditions and more broadly urban decay.

Pre-1960s

;1909 Greek Town Riot: 21 February 1909, South Omaha, Nebraska, USA. During a period of economic downturn in the city, a successful community of Greeks in Omaha, Nebraska is burnt to the ground by a mob from Omaha. This happens after they almost lynched a Greek immigrant accused of having sex with a white woman. A federal trial brought by the Greek consul to the United States ends in stagnation. No person is ever convicted.

;1917 East Saint Louis, IL.: July, 1917, East Saint Louis, IL, USA. [http://www.eslarp.uiuc.edu/ibex/archive/nunes/esl%20history/race_riot.htm]

;1921 Tulsa Race Riots: 31 May-1 June 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.

;1935 Harlem Riot: 19 March 1935, New York City, USA [ [http://newdeal.feri.org/survey/36457.htm Harlem: Dark Weather-Vane] by Alain Locke]

;Notting Hill race riots:late August and early September 1958, London, UK

1960s

;Rochester 1964 race riot: 24-26 July 1964 [http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/july64/timeline.html Rochester riot timeline] ]

;Philadelphia 1964 race riot: 28-30 August 1964, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, "Allegations of police brutality sparked the Columbia Avenue race riots."

;Watts Riots: 11 August 1965, Los Angeles, California, USA, "The McCone Commission investigated the riots finding that causes included poverty, inequality, racial discrimination and the passage, in November 1964, of Proposition 14 on the California ballot overturning the Rumford Fair Housing Act, which established equality of opportunity for black home buyers." [ [http://harvardpress.typepad.com/hup_publicity/2006/08/this_day_in_his.html This day in history--Watts riots] ]

;Hough Riots: 18 July 1966, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, "The underlying causes of the riots may found in the social conditions that exist in the ghettos of Cleveland." [ [http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1597 Ohio History:Hough Riots] ]

;Racial tension in Omaha, Nebraska: 5 July 1966, North Omaha, Nebraska, USA, "More than 500 black youth gathered to protest the absence of recreation programs and jobs storm a local business district, throwing rocks and bricks at Jewish-owned businesses in the area. The National Guard is called in after three days of random violence and organized raids." [(1992) "The Street of Dreams" video. Nebraska Public Television.]

;1967 Newark riots: 12 July 1967, Newark, New Jersey, USA, "Factors that contributed to the Newark Riot: police brutality, political exclusion of blacks from city government, urban renewal, inadequate housing, unemployment, poverty, and rapid change in the racial composition of neighborhoods." [ [http://www.67riots.rutgers.edu/n_index.htm The Newark and Detroit Riots: Events ] ]

;1967 Plainfield riots: 14 July 1967, Plainfield, New Jersey, USA

;12th Street riot: 23 July 1967, Detroit, Michigan, USA, "The origins of urban unrest in Detroit were rooted in a multitude of political, economic, and social factors including police abuse, lack of affordable housing, urban renewal projects, economic inequality, black militancy, and rapid demographic change." [ [http://www.67riots.rutgers.edu/d_index.htm The Detroit Riots of 1967: Events ] ]

;Minneapolis-Saint Paul, USA, Fall 1967: Racial tensions boil over in North Minneapolis as whites continue to leave the decaying core of the inner city bound for the suburbs.

;1968 Chicago, Illinois riots: In Chicago, violence erupted in the black ghetto on the west side, eventually consuming a 28-block stretch of West Madison Street. Looting and arson took place primarily in the corridor between Roosevelt Road on the south and Chicago Avenue on the north.

;1968 Washington, D.C. riots: 4 April 1968, Washington, D.C., USA, "A report from National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders identified discrimination and poverty as the root causes of the riots that erupted in cities around the nation during the late 1960s and in Washington, DC in April 1968" [ [http://foundationcenter.org/washington/spotlight/dc_spotlight_080106.html Foundation Center-Washington, D.C./Spotlight On ] ]

;Baltimore riot of 1968: 4 April 1968, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

;Glenville Shootout: 23 July 1968, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, "Shootout between black militant organization led by Ahmed Evans and Cleveland Police Department attracted large and hostile black crowds that caused a 4 day long riot

;1969 North 24th Street Riots: 24 June 1969, North Omaha, Nebraska USA, "An Omaha police officer fatally shoots a teenager in the back of the head during a gathering of youth in local public housing projects. Many youth and adults from the local African American community gather in the local business district, routinely burning and otherwise destroying non-Black-owned businesses." [(2006) [http://www.thereader.com/art.php?subaction=showfull&id=1161277926&archive=&start_from=&ucat=11& Distilled in Black and White] , "Omaha Reader."]

1970s

;New York City blackout of 1977: 13 July 1977, New York City, USA, "That massive blackout was viewed by some as one symptom of the city's decline." [ [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1146607 NPR: The New York City Blackout of 1977 ] ]

;1979 Southall Riot (Blair Peach): 23 April 1979, London, England [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/23/newsid_2523000/2523959.stm BBC ON THIS DAY | 23 | 1979: Teacher dies in Southall race riots ] ]

1980s

;St Pauls riot: 2 April 1980, Bristol, England

;Arthur McDuffie: 8 May 1980, Miami, Florida, USA, "black outrage at "a double standard of justice" " [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,924143,00.html Fire and Fury in Miami - TIME ] ]

;Brixton riot (1981): 11 April 1981, London, England [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/25/newsid_2546000/2546233.stm BBC ON THIS DAY | 25 | 1981: Brixton riots report blames racial tension ] ]

;1981 Toxteth Riot: 5 July 1981, Liverpool, England

;Chapeltown Riots: 1981, Leeds, England

;Handsworth riots: 10 July 1981, Birmingham, England [ [http://www.digitalhandsworth.org.uk/ Digital Handsworth - Home ] ]

;Brixton riot (1985): 28 September 1985, Brixton, London, England

;1985 Toxteth Riot: 1 October 1985, Liverpool, England [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/1/newsid_2486000/2486315.stm BBC ON THIS DAY | 1 | 1985: Riots erupt in Toxteth and Peckham ] ]

;1985 Peckham Riots: 1 October 1985, London, England, "A report by Lord Scarman acknowledged much of the widespread unrest had its roots in social and economic deprivation and in racial discrimination."

;Brixton riot (1995): 13 December 1985, London, England, "Alex Owolade, chairman of the anti-racist group Movement for Justice, said the violence was a rebellion against years of "racist injustice" by police in an impoverished area plagued by racial tension." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/13/newsid_2559000/2559341.stm BBC ON THIS DAY | 13 | 1995: Riots break out in Brixton ] ]

1990s

;Crown Heights Riot: 19 August 1991, New York City, USA

;Meadow Well Riots: 9 September 1991, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

;1992 Los Angeles riots: 29 April 1992, Los Angeles, California, USA [ [http://www.fragmentsweb.org/TXT1/decaytx.html King Riots, Urban Decay & Alienation ] ]

;Jakarta riots of May 1998: May 1998, Indonesia, "triggered by economic decline; problems were both urban and rural" [ [http://www.fas.org/irp/world/indonesia/indonesia-1998.htm 1998 Human Rights Report - Indonesia ] ]

2000s

;2001 Cincinnati riots: 10 April 2001, Cincinnati, Ohio, US, "An Enquirer reporter, Kristina Goetz, reported that the lack of progress on perennial inner-city problems such as inadequate child and health care, failing schools, and low rates of minority home ownership was a contributing factor." [ [http://archives.cjr.org/year/01/4/cincinnati.asp May/June 2001 ] ]

;Oldham Riots: 26 May 2001, Greater Manchester, England

;Benton Harbor riots: 16 June 2003, Benton Harbor, Michigan

;2004 Redfern riots: 14 February 2004, Sydney, Australia

;2005 Macquarie Fields riots: 25 February 2005, Sydney, Australia, "There is an open debate about the cause of this riot. One side cites economic factors and racism." [ [http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LC20050323040 Standing Committee on Social Issues Macquarie Fields Inquiry - 23/03/2005 - NSW Parliament ] ]

;2005 Toledo Riot: 15 October 2005, Toledo, Ohio, USA, "Residents at forum named poverty, above other causes, as the kindling for the riot." [ [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AK&s_site=ohio&p_multi=AK&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10D7804A2D8818F0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Search Results ] ]

;2005 Birmingham riots: 22 October 2005, Birmingham, England, "Many white and more affluent African-Caribbean residents have moved out of Birmingham, signaling a rapid change in the racial composition of neighborhoods." [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,11374,1599126,00.html A rumour, outrage and then a riot. How tension in a Birmingham suburb erupted | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited ] ]

;2005 civil unrest in France: 2005 Paris, France

; 2005 Cronulla riots: 2005 Sydney, Australia

ee also

*Riots
*Student riot

Sources