1985 Handsworth riots 1500 police officers drafted into the area, about 45 shops looted and burnt, and a trail of damage running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. As well as racial tension, unemployment was seen as a major factor in the riots; by the time of the riots, fewer than 5% of the black population to have left school that summer had found employment. The riots were the first of a series of similar riots across the country during the autumn of 1985, notably the Broadwater Farm riot in London which also resulted in a fatality (the murder of policeman Keith Blakelock).
Broadwater Farm are currently between 3800 and 4000 residents of Broadwater Farm. Following the events of 1985 a number of local residents left and were replaced mainly by recent immigrants, particularly Kurds, Somalis and Congolese. In 2005, approximately 70% of residents were from an ethnic minority background and 39 different languages were spoken on the estate. In 2011, 13.4% of residents were White British, 11.9% were Asian and 36.1% were Black. Broadwater Farm Broadwater Farm, often referred to simply as "The Farm", is an area in Tottenham, north London, straddling the River Moselle. The eastern half of the area is dominated by