Caia Park Riots
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Caia Park riots occurred on the Caia Park Estate in Wrexham, Wales, on 22 June 2003 and involved violence between Iraqi Kurds, local residents and police. The violence began when Hoshank Baker Kader (an Iraqi) was set upon by local residents. Approximately 20 of the Kurdish immigrants in response armed themselves and attacked the Red Dragon pub at about 20:05 GMT believing that the perpetrators of violence to their compatriot were inside. The drinkers inside returned the violence using bar stools and snooker cues. From then on the riot began with local residents taking an active response and attempting to get to the Kurdish area of the estate.
Police were called by the landlord of the pub and proceeded to round up troublemakers. The riots against the police happened the following night when a variety of missiles were thrown by a crowd of angry locals, including petrol bombs, stones and bottles. At the height of the incident a crowd of approximately 200 youths attacked about 25 police officers. This assault lasted for three hours. The police discovered to their cost that several factors prevented them from quelling the disorder quickly. Senior officers underestimated the potential for disorder following the initial night and only drafted in a small number of extra officers from Wrexham county and Flintshire. None of these officers were initially deployed in riot equipment and were unprepared for the rapid escalation in aggression from local people. When rioting began it proved difficult to summon extra resources to the scene due to a number of issues. The remoteness of the western area of the North Wales force meant that rapid support was summoned from three neighbouring forces in England. These were Cheshire, Merseyside and West Mercia. Despite their image as a rural force it was only officers from parts of West Mercia who arrived in time to provide assistance. Many of these officers travelled from as far afield as Hereford. The vehicles used by Wrexham Police were also found to be ill-equipped for disorder and a significant amount of damage occurred to them. Despite these problems and despite several injuries sustained by those deployed the officers on the ground acquitted themselves well and received widespread praise. During subsequent nights riot police from North Wales and Merseyside maintained a heavy presence in the town to prevent further disorder and to arrest the main particicipants in the disorder. This approach led to a great deal of criticism from people in Caia Park who felt that they were all being punished for the behaviour of many people from outside the estate.
The violence shocked many in the local area and attracted attention throughout the UK, and perhaps unsurprisingly, support from the BNP.
Rumours circulating around Wrexham in the next few weeks would state that the violence was a result of Iraqi Kurds attempting to sell drugs on the 'patch' of rival, local dealers. Other rumours suggested jealousy was a factor as local women chose Iraqi men as boyfriends over locals. Many suggested that resentment had built due to Iraqi men taking work in local factories even though there was a significant shortage of workers leading up to the troubles.
[edit] The aftermath
Fortunately there were no fatalities related to the events of 22 June, but injuries were suffered by police officers and some kurds. At the trial at Mold Crown Court. 51 people were sentenced in relation to the riots, with a combined time between them of 80 years in prison. The youngest perpetrator was only 13 years old and was sentenced to four years in a secure unit. Major changes occurred in the area as a result of the troubles. The Kurdish/Iraqi population were subsequently distributed throughout the county to smaller communities. The police were given extra funding by the Home Office to increase Community officers on the estate. These, however, have been criticised by some residents on the estate for being soft on crime. Many people on Caia Park were highly critical of the behaviour of the rioters and there was widespread rejection of the BNP's attempts to capitalise on events. Wrexham as a whole has since seen a vast influx of Polish and Portuguese migrant workers but there has been no repeat of the events of 2003. However, there is growing resentment of these new people due to perceived favouritism in relation to welfare benefits. There is also a growing perception that Poles and Portuguese are more likely to commit sexual crimes in the community than local people. This is, however, greatly disputed by statistics. Wrexham Council are now actively pursuing a policy of educating the community about migration and the benefits it brings to the area.
