St Pauls, Bristol dealing. A customer had his trousers ripped and demanded compensation, which the police refused. A crowd outside then refused to allow the police to leave, and when back up was called a riot started. The riots were quickly blamed on race, but both white and black youths from both Irish and Jamaican backgrounds and some English fought against the police and the problems are thought to have been linked instead to poverty and perceived social injustices, predominantly the Sus law and anti Irish feelings from IRA activity on the main land. In 1990 a Bristol and St Pauls black politician
1980 St. Pauls riot the size of the crowd at about 2000. The riot continued for many hours and caused much damage to a branch of Lloyds Bank and a post office. Several fire engines and 12 police cars were also damaged. At one point a police chief famously remarked: "Surely we should be advancing, not retreating?" 130 people were arrested and 90 were charged. The next day the "Daily Telegraph" carried a headline stating "19 Police Hurt in Black Riot" and blamed lack of parental care. Nineteen policemen and six other people were taken to hospital, including a cameraman and a photographer from