1989 Dewsbury riot
The Dewsbury riot of 1989 was a minor clash between activists of the British National Party (BNP) and local South Asian youths. The police used riot gear in controlling the events. Background Dewsbury is a mill town in Yorkshire, England. After World War II, it attracted large numbers of immigrants from Pakistan and the Gujarat area of West India. In 1982, the Markazi mosque was built in the Savile Town area to serve the town's Islamic community. The number of Muslims in Dewsbury, especially Savile Town and Ravensthorpe, grew steadily as it gained a reputation as an Islam-friendly community in Britain. Riot Over a period of months in early 1989, an increasing number of white parents in the Savile Town area withdrew their children from the local school, which had become 80% Asian. In June, the BNP organised a rally to support these parents, whose behaviour was both controversial in the media and illegal under English and Welsh law. Tim Hepple, a BNP member with a history of violence, who was later revealed as an undercover agent, is said to have organised the rally. The rally, in the centre of Dewsbury, was met with a small group of counterdemonstrators from