ots " ▁– ▁taking ▁place ▁after ▁the ▁B ri xt on ▁ri ots ▁in ▁London , ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁as ▁the ▁To xt eth ▁ri ots ▁in ▁Liverpool ▁and ▁the ▁M oss ▁Side ▁ri ots ▁in ▁Manchester ▁– ▁though ▁some ▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁an ▁o vers impl ification . ▁The ▁immediate ▁flash point ▁was ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁a ▁locally ▁well - known ▁Police ▁Super int endent ▁who ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁calm ▁rum ours ▁of ▁an ▁imp ending ▁march ▁by ▁the ▁right - wing ▁National ▁Front . ▁The ▁following ▁dist urban ces ▁resulted ▁in ▁ 1 2 1 ▁arr ests ▁and ▁ 4 0 ▁inj uries ▁to ▁police ▁officers , ▁alongside ▁w ides p read ▁damage ▁to ▁property . ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁ri ots ▁Hand sw orth ▁had ▁been ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁good ▁example ▁of ▁successful ▁community ▁polic ing , ▁though ▁local ▁Black ▁British ▁youth s ▁later ▁disput ed ▁the ▁claim ▁that ▁relations ▁between ▁them ▁and ▁the ▁police ▁had ▁been ▁am ic able : ▁around ▁ 4 0 % ▁of ▁them ▁had ▁been ▁stopped ▁and ▁searched ▁over ▁the ▁previous ▁ 1 2 ▁months . ▁Hand sw orth ▁had ▁a ▁mixed ▁population ▁of ▁white , ▁black ▁and ▁Asian ▁residents , ▁but ▁surve ys ▁after ▁the ▁ri ots ▁showed ▁little ▁evidence ▁of ▁significant ▁ra cial ▁t ension . ▁A ▁week ▁before ▁the ▁ri ots , ▁during ▁the ▁week end ▁that ▁saw ▁CS ▁gas ▁used ▁against ▁ri ot ers ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁on ▁the ▁British ▁Main land ▁in ▁To xt eth