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Racist killing in south London

01 May 1993

An eighteen year old black man, Stephen Lawrence, was stabbed to death by a gang of racists in Eltham, south London. Stephen, and a friend who escaped, were waiting at a bus stop when they were approached by the gang who shouted racist abuse and then stabbed Stephen twice. He died before reaching hospital.

Stephen's death is the latest in a spate of racist murders in southeast London. They include Rolan Adams (15) who was stabbed to death in Thamesmead in February 1991 and Rohit Duggal (16) was murdered in Eltham in July 1992.

The Greenwich Action Committee on Racist Attacks (GACARA) reported 241 racial incidents in the area last year; in the first six months of this year the figure has passed the 200 mark,
including three attacks involving firearms and 21 with knives.

The increase in racist violence in the area coincided with the opening of the headquarters of the openly fascist British National Party (BNP) in the neighbouring borough of Welling. The local Bexley council has been severely criticised for its refusal to take any action against the headquarters, which they argue is nothing more than a bookshop, despite almost continuous lobbying by local residents and groups.

Following the murder more than 3,000 people took part in a march against racism and the presence of the "bookshop", organised by Youth Against Racism in Europe. Their frustration was vented on the BNP headquarters when missiles were thrown at it. Riot police and police on horseback responded by charging protesters which resulted in fifteen demonstrators being taken to hospital.

The killing has been condemned by Nelson Mandela, president of the African National Congress, who visited the Lawrence family during a visit to London. Mr Mandela told the family that he was "deeply touched by the brutality of the murder" and, echoing the feeling of many black people living in southeast London, that "Black lives have become cheap".

A seventeen year old white youth has been charged with Stephen's murder. He is also charged with the attempted murder of a 16 year old black youth in an earlier incident in the same area of London.