6.30 pm Wednesday December 13 1995. ABOUT 150 PEOPLE assemble in the cold and rain outside the police station to demonstrate against Wayne Douglas' death in custody.
He was the second young man in the area to die at the hands of the police in 7 months and the sixth black man to die "The dersarsatice ls inall asd asThe demonstration is small and angry—the demonstrators are mainly black, many youth, and noticeably. many women of all ages. provocative but the demonstration is peaceful.
Speaker after speaker laments the lack of action taken after the high death toll of 102 black people who have died in custody since 1969.
They speak of the failure of the black community to take action after these deaths-voices of despair are joined by voices of righteous anger The crowd marches down the high street to demonstrate that anger.
As I walk up the High Street to join the demo I notice van loads of police in riot gear on the side streets. Brixton Oval 7.15pm.
Police on horses try to clear the streets and three police vans with the galis down are unco up across baxton High Street.
The crowd is in a strong position in the middle of a crossroads. Demonstrators are determined to get the message The atmosphere is charged. It is both dane and ordinary. People stand by watching and passers-by ask what is Then someone throws a na penas bottle at the police who are lined up "Right - helmets!" shout the police. They are up for a fight. Later they are seen banging on the sides of their vans to intimidate the crowd. Brixton Thursday December 14 12.30 am.
Shops are on fire, looting and police all over the streets. The national media lence and iodilleres ns the eulier den era toterno the caneca onstration.