Topic: UK: alleged rape of black girl sparks Birmingham riots
Hephaestion
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4795
posted 23 October 2005 07:32 PM
quote:(AP)Police were searching on Sunday for a black girl whose alleged rape by a South Asian sparked a riot that left one person dead and several injured.
Riots erupted in the Lozells area of west Birmingham after members of the Afro-Caribbean and South Asian communities held a meeting Saturday over the alleged rape. The meeting was partially meant to calm tension in the community and encourage the 14-year-old girl - reportedly an illegal immigrant - to come forward.
It wasn't immediately clear how the riot began but witnesses said a gang of about 30 South Asian youths began throwing stones at some of the 300 people attending the meeting.
[...]
"This is the work of a small number of individuals and is not a true reflection of community relations in Birmingham," said Assistant Chief Constable David Shaw, of West Midlands Police.
He said there was no evidence the girl had been raped but police were investigating and urging her to come forward.
CBC Radio reports that the Birmingham area has a past history of Afro-Asian tension and violence...
From: goodbye... :-( | Registered: Dec 2003
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kuri
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4202
posted 23 October 2005 09:32 PM
Very familiar. Very sad.
Birmingham was the site of a very famous riot in the 1980's that was the catalyst for a number of reforms including changes to the Race Relations Act and police diversity measures. It's sad that so little has changed despite that. I don't know what the solution is.
From: an employer more progressive than rabble.ca | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 23 October 2005 07:32 PM
