NEW CROSS FIRE,
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The New Cross
Fire was a devastating house fire which killed 13 young black people during
a birthday party in New Cross, southeast London on Sunday January 18,
1981. Some were shocked by what they perceived as the indifference of
the white population, and accused the London Metropolitan Police of covering
up the cause, which they suspected was an arson attack motivated by racism;
the protests arising out of the fire led to a mobilisation of black political
activity. Nobody has ever been charged in relation to the fire.
The party was a joint birthday celebration for Yvonne Ruddock (who died) and Angela Jackson (who survived) and was held at 439 New Cross Road, going on throughout the night. There was a fairly high degree of racial tension in the area and far right groups including the National Front were active; there had been early complaints about noise from the party. The initial police suspicion was that the party had been bombed either as a revenge attack or to stop the noise.
