Bristol Riots: Hartcliffe 1992 (2018 Unfinished Documentary)

In 1992, Shaun Starr (32) and Keith Buck (18) were killed by police as they rode on a stolen police motorcycle. The Regional Crime Squad, embarrassed by the theft, chased the bike down themselves rather than relay the information to the appropriate police units in Hartcliffe. Witnesses report seeing an unmarked police car swerve into the two on the bike, killing them instantly. Witnesses then reported seeing the police moving the bodies of the deceased to make the incident appear more 'accidental'.

The people of Hartcliffe and South Bristol then rioted for three days. Their first port of call was the local police drop-in centre, "The Cop Shop", which they burnt to the ground. Many were arrested. DC Wallington, accused of the men's murders, was found guilty of death by dangerous driving, although his conviction was shortly overturned on appeal. The attention brought to Hartcliffe's isolation and alienation by the riots is believed to helped spur investment into the area but also to have fostered a stronger sense of community amongst residents.

Lee and Ruth both grew up in the area and came back to talk about the events nearly 3 decades later. Lee happily speaks about joining in with the riots and shows us the leaflet he helped pass across Hartcliffe with the local Class War anarchists, hastily made in the immediacy of the riots.

This was an unfinished documentary that sought to explore many riots in Bristol's history - from the 1831 Uprising, to the women cotton mill workers of Barton Hill, the unemployed and anti-fascist demonstrations of the 1930s and the St Pauls riots of 1980 - that I may revisit at a later date. But in the meantime, 2021 has made riots in Bristol feel significant for whatever reason and I thought I'd share this piece. Archive material courtesy of the Bristol Post via Tristan Cork. Thanks to Lee and Ruth, and to Petra Lewis for assistance. The music is '28 Draws Later' by QELD    • QELD - 28 Draws Later (OFFICIAL VIDEO)   it was originally Massive Attack but that flagged the copyright algorithm lol so I just stuck QELD in instead.