Racist killing in south London (1)
01 January 1991
Racist killing in south London
artdoc July=1993
An eighteen year old black man, Stephen Lawrence, was stabbed to
death by a gang of racists in Eltham, south London. Stephen, and
a friend who escaped, were waiting at a bus stop when they were
approached by the gang who shouted racist abuse and then stabbed
Stephen twice. He died before reaching hospital.
Stephen's death is the latest in a spate of racist murders in
southeast London. They include Rolan Adams (15) who was stabbed
to death in Thamesmead in February 1991 and Rohit Duggal (16) was
murdered in Eltham in July 1992.
The Greenwich Action Committee on Racist Attacks (GACARA)
reported 241 racial incidents in the area last year; in the first
six months of this year the figure has passed the 200 mark,
including three attacks involving firearms and 21 with knives.
The increase in racist violence in the area coincided with the
opening of the headquarters of the openly fascist British
National Party (BNP) in the neighbouring borough of Welling. The
local Bexley council has been severely criticised for its refusal
to take any action against the headquarters, which they argue is
nothing more than a bookshop, despite almost continuous lobbying
by local residents and groups.
Following the murder more than 3,000 people took part in a
march against racism and the presence of the `bookshop',
organised by Youth Against Racism in Europe. Their frustration
was vented on the BNP headquarters when missiles were thrown at
it. Riot police and police on horseback responded by charging
protesters which resulted in fifteen demonstrators being taken
to hospital.
The killing has been condemned by Nelson Mandela, president of
the African National Congress, who visited the Lawrence family
during a visit to London. Mr Mandela told the family that he was
"deeply touched by the brutality of the murder" and, echoing the
feeling of many black people living in southeast London, that
"Black lives have become cheap."
A seventeen year old white youth has been charged with
Stephen's murder. He is also charged with the attempted murder
of a 16 year old black youth in an earlier incident in the same
area of London.
Statewatch vol 3 no 3 May-June 1993