List of riots in London explained

The following is a list of riots and protests involving violent disorder that have occurred in London:

• 1189: The Massacre of the Jews at the coronation of Richard I
• 1196: William with the long beard causes riots when he preaches for the poor against the rich
• 1221: Riots occur after London defeats Westminster in an annual wrestling contest; ring-leaders hanged or mutilated in punishment.^{[1] [2]}
• 1268: Rioting between goldsmiths and tailors^{[2] [3]}
• 1340: Fishmongers riot with Skinners after a Skinner murders a Fishmonger's servant, Ralph Turk.^[4]

• 1391: Riots break out in Salisbury Place over a baker's loaf^[2]
• 1517: Evil May Day riot against foreigners takes place
• 1668: Bawdy House Riots took place following repression of a series of attacks against brothels^[5]
• 1710: Sacheverell riots, following the trial of the preacher, Henry Sacheverell
• 1719: Spitalfields weavers rioted, attacking women wearing Indian clothing and then attempting to rescue their arrested comrades^[6]
• 1743: Riots against Gin Taxes and other legislation to control the Gin Craze, principally the Gin Act 1736; rioting was fuelled by consumption of the drink itself^[7]
• 1768: The Massacre of St George's Fields after the imprisonment of John Wilkes for criticising the King
• 1769: The Spitalfield riots when silk weavers attempted to maintain their rate of pay
• 1780: Gordon riots against Catholics
• 1788: The notorious Westminster by-election held in the summer of 1788 resulting in 2 deaths and more than 40 injured.^[8]
• 1809: Old Price Riots, 1809 following a rise in the price of theatre tickets
• 1816: Spa Fields riots, Spenceans met in support of the common ownership of land
• 1830: Attacks against the Duke of Wellington in his carriage and on his home, for his opposition to electoral reform (which had been seen partly as a solution to rioting by rural workers).
• 1866: a riot took place in Hyde Park after a meeting of the Reform League was declared illegal
• 1886: The West End Riots followed a counter-demonstration by the Social Democratic Federation against a meeting of the Fair Trade League.^[9]
• 1887: Bloody Sunday, a demonstration against coercion in Ireland and to demand the release from prison the MP William O'Brien
• 1907: The Brown Dog riots, medical students attempt to tear down an anti-vivisection statue.
• 1919: The Battle of Bow Street, Australian, American and Canadian servicemen rioted against the Metropolitan Police
• 1932: The National Hunger March ended in rioting after the police confiscated the petition of the National Unemployed Workers' Movement

• 1936: The Battle of Cable Street saw rioting against the Metropolitan Police as they attempted to facilitate a march by the British Union of Fascists
• 1958: Notting Hill race riots between White British and West Indian immigrants.
• 1968: Rioting outside the United States Embassy in Grosvenor Square in opposition to the Vietnam War.
• 1974: Red Lion Square disorders happened following a march by counter-fascists against the National Front.
• 1976: Riots during the Notting Hill Carnival.
• 1977: The Battle of Lewisham occurred when the Metropolitan Police attempted to facilitate a march by the National Front^[10]
• 1979: Southall riots during an Anti-Nazi League demonstration in opposition to the National Front.
• 1981: Brixton riot against the Metropolitan Police. Especially on 10 July, rioting extended to other parts of London and numerous other cities around the UK^[11]
• 1985: Brixton riot against the Metropolitan Police after they shot the mother of suspect Michael Groce
• 1985: Broadwater Farm riot, residents of Tottenham riot against the Metropolitan Police following a death during a police search
• 1990: Poll Tax riots followed the introduction of a poll tax
• 1993: Welling riots, October 1993.^[12] A march organised by the ANL,^{[13] [14]} the SWP and Militant resulted in riots against the Metropolitan police.^[12]
• 1994: Riot during the second march against the Criminal Justice Bill
• 1995: 1995 Brixton riot against the Metropolitan Police occurred after a death in police custody
• 1996: Rioting in Trafalgar Square and surrounding streets following England losing against Germany in the semi-final of UEFA Euro 1996

• 1999: Carnival Against Capitalism riot
• 2000: Anti-capitalist May Day riot^[15]
• 2001: May Day riot in central London by anti-capitalist protestors.^[16]
• 2002: Rioting around The New Den stadium following Millwall F.C. losing against Birmingham City F.C. in the 2002 Football League Division One play-off.
• 2009: G-20 London summit protests occurred in the days around the G-20 summit.
• 2009: Upton Park riot before, during and after a 2009–10 Football League Cup second round match between West Ham United F.C. and Millwall F.C.
• 2010: UK student protests against increases in student fees and public sector cuts.
• 2011: Anti-cuts protest in London against government public spending cuts.
• 2011: England riots, initially in London, following the police shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham
• 2017: Rioting outside Forest Gate police station following the Death of Edson Da Costa.
• 2020: Violent disorder at Black Lives Matter protest in Whitehall.
• 2024: United Kingdom riots following a mass stabbing in Southport.

Notes and References

1. Book: Palmer . Alan . Palmer . Veronica . 1992 . The Chronology of British History. Century Ltd. London. 79–81. 0-7126-5616-2.
2. Web site: John Strype's Survey of London Online. hrionline.ac.uk . 15 December 2010.
3. Web site: Introduction. British History Online . 15 December 2010.
4. Book: Of Good and Ill Repute: Gender and Social Control in Medieval England. Barbara A. Hanawalt. 1998. 9780195109498.
5. Web site: Striking the posture of a whore: the Bawdy House Riots and the "antitheatrical prejudice". – Free Online Library. thefreelibrary.com. 15 December 2010.
6. Web site: 'Industries: Silk-weaving', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 2. british-history.ac.uk. 15 December 2010.
7. Web site: The Gin Craze and Gin Riots. staticandwine.blogspot.com. 10 August 2011.
8. Web site: Westimnster by election riot of 1788. thehistoryofparliament.wordpress.com. 28 July 2019.
9. Web site: Marxism and Rioting. whatnextjournal.co.uk. 15 December 2010.
10. News: BBC ON THIS DAY – 13 – 1977: Violent clashes at NF march. BBC. 15 December 2010. 13 August 1977.
11. Web site: A Different Reality: minority struggle in British cities . University of Warwick . 12 August 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110926055138/http://www.warwick.ac.uk/CRER/differentreality/timeline.html . 26 September 2011 .
12. Web site: Memories of Welling. DK Renton. DKRenton.co.uk. 22 January 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130609105442/http://www.dkrenton.co.uk/welling.html. 9 June 2013. dmy-all.
13. Book: Dearlove, John. Introduction to British politics. 2000. Wiley-Blackwell. 978-0-7456-2096-1. registration. 108.
14. News: Welling: Disturbances. Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 18 October 1993 . 30 January 2010.
15. News: BBC ON THIS DAY – 1 – 2000: May Day violence on London streets. BBC. 15 December 2010 . 1 May 2000.
16. News: The London May Day protests at a glance. The Guardian. 15 December 2010. 1 May 2001.