Press hysteria marked the response to the August 13 killing of Richard Everitt, a 15-year old white youth from the Somerstown district of Camden.
The area has a largely white working class population, living in an area to the north of Kings Cross and Euston. Everitt was allegedly knifed by a group of Asian youths.
The hysteria about Everitt's killing was out of all proporUNISON is calling on its 200,000 health members not covered by pay review bodies to throw out a 2.4% pay offer, which is lower than the settlement for nursing staff. A no vote would be followed by a ballot on industrial action. tion to the news coverage of attacks of black and Asian families, which has particularly affected nearby Drummond Street, site of many Asian restaurants.
Dozens of floral tributes have appeared behind St. Pancras Station where Everitt was killed, one of them from the British National Party.
In 1992 a battle took place in Drummond Street after a gang of armed white youths went on a rampage of racist assaults. After Asian youths cornered the w'ite gang, and one white you was stabbed, all police chai s against the NIMO SES whites were dropped, while four Asians were charged with affray.
Insofar as there is conflict between Asian and white youths in the area, it is because of this history of racist assaults, and attacks on Asian shops and restaurants.
While the press have exagEast London: Youth Connections has shown the value of self-defence by the black communities gerated racial conflict in the area out of all proportion, there is without doubt a core of racist white families in the district.
The racism in Somerstown, and on other poor white council estates, reflects a commen pattern which was evident in Tower Hamlets when BNP councillor Beackon was elected.
High unemployment and a lack of decent housing make sections of poor whites vulnerable to racist arguments that Immigrant workers are taking "our" council houses and