Handsworth Riots, Birmingham, 1985

The Handsworth riots took place in Birmingham from the 9th to the 11th of September 1985. The riots were reportedly sparked by the arrest of a man near the Acapulco Café on Lozells Road, and a police raid on the Villa Cross public house in the same area of London. Racial tension and friction between the police and the local ethnic minority communities was seen as a major factor in the riots. Handsworth had been predominantly populated by Black and Asian communities for more than 30 years.

“The first thing that invades your senses is the intoxicating choking smoke, a combination of petrol and car materials. Moving towards the situation, the image unfolds with the realisation that rioters had upturned cars, flipping them like dominoes, opening the petrol tanks and setting them on fire. This is one of the most surreal photographs I have ever taken. This was a Central Television News car. Seeing the camera equipment behind the grille, rioters smashed the window and took out a camera. Realising it wasn’t for domestic use they smashed the camera and overturned the car – for good measure a bath was thrown”. –  Pogus Caesar.

This print sits in a beautiful wooden black frame. Frame dimension are 52 x 42 x  3 cm. Please allow 2-4 weeks for framing and shipping.

This photograph is part of The Black Triangle, an exhibition on the civil rights and anti-racist movements in the UK, USA and South Africa. (7th of October – 3rd of December 2022). Email info@atlasgallery.com for a full list of works.