Sunday, April 10, 2011

Brixton Uprising 1981

Thirty years ago this weekend Brixton exploded in the middle of Operation Swamp 81 - a police operaation that saw almost 950 mainly black young people stopped and searched in the area. It was the start of a period that saw uprisings up and down the country, reaching a peak in July 1981.

It was April 1981,
Down in the ghetto of Brixton,
That the babylon cause such a friction,
That it bring about a great insurrection,
And it spread all over the nation
It was truly an historical occasion
It was the event of the year
And I wish I had been there
When we ran riot all over Brixton
When we mash up plenty police van...
When we mash up the Swamp '81

Linton Kwesi Johnson - Di Great Insohreckshan



Great new version of this released last week produced by Hiatus (featuring LKJ):



From back in the day, Roy Rankin & Raymond Naptali - Brixton Incident



Prince Hammer - Brixton Trial and Clashes ('we never stop fight until we black nation free, from Bablyon wicked pain and misery'):



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