Middlesbrough Race Riots (1983: Doomsday)

On Friday 4th of November 2011 a newly built mosque opens near Albert Park in central Middlesbrough, Kingdom of Cleveland. Although opposed by a small minority of locals, the majority of Kingdom welcomes the religious freedoms given in Cleveland. Attending the opening was PM Mallon and Queen Zara.

Over the following weekend racist graffiti appears on the main door of the new mosque. The head of police plays it off as only a 'prank' by local kids.

On the 17th November more racist graffiti appears on the door of the new mosque overnight, also five severed pig heads are placed on the doorstep.

The Muslim leaders call the attack highly offensive and racist, and call for more patrols around the new mosque to prevent more attacks.

Police state that after investigation it appears that a few members of the True British Army may have taken up residence in Cleveland after their defeat in Rutland.

On the 25th November 2011, during Friday prayers, several dozen shots were fired through the main window of the mosque from a submachine gun. Two people were injured by flying glass. The local police search for the purpotraitor however only shell cases are found, they set up a police check point outside the mosque to prevent anymore attacks.

However over the night of the 26th and 27th November the police checkpoint is attacked just after midnight and the two Police Constables manning it are killed, the front of the mosque is doused in petrol and set alight.

The mosque front entrance catches fire quickly, locals are roused by an explosion from a gas canister kept in the entrance. Once aware of the situation the fire brigade were called however locals of all religions fight the fire using hosepipes and buckets of water from the local park lake.

The fire is brought under control by 3am, however by this time there are several hundred people on the street calling for the purportraitors to be found and punished. Just after 4am rumours start circulating that several local Christians who had been outspokenly against the building of the mosque may have been involved in the arson attack.

Two hundred men from the mosque march to the houses of these people, break down the doors and drag the supposed arsonists into the street, the police try to keep things calm but unfortunately it makes them appear to be supporting the supposed arsonists.

The men from the mosque turn on the police, attacking them with sticks and bottles, police reinforcements are called in to try and bring the now total riot under control.

With more police arriving one of the Christians houses is set alight, at the same time two of the Christians are strung up from lamposts in the street. Although they are quickly cut down one dies later from neck injuries.

With the news of the Muslim attack on Christians spreading through out the Captial City, smaller disturbances begin to break out arcoss the city. These quickly turn into semi-riot situations. Several fires break out in buildings owned by both Muslims and Christians, this causes the fire bridgade to be overstretched and not all fires can be extinguished and some building are left to burn to the ground. Looting broke out at just after 7am on the main shopping street in Middlesbrough with many shops being burned after they have been looted.

Street fights break out after daybreak on Sunday the 27th, two small churches in Marton village are burned just after noon. PM Mallon calls in the military to regain control when the two churches are burned, at the same time a group of Christians attack the partially burned Mosque ransack it and then burn it to the ground.

Running battles with the police and military occur during the day with both Chritians and Muslims attacking both each other and police and military who were trying to stop the riots.

Leaders of both Muslim and Christians speak on the local radio at 1pm calling for calm and peace.

Once the military take control of the centre of Middlesbrough at 4pm the rioting people slowly disperse and some sort of calm is restored by 7pm.

Although it is expected that small scale disturbances will break out across the city over the next few days, but it is hoped that the riots will now be over.

Death tolls from the riot are only estimated due to the fact that many burned building had not been searched but it is known that 17 Christians, 24 Muslims, 5 people of other religions, 8 police officers and 4 army personnel have been killed with many hundreds killed, two churches, one mosque and 34 other buildings are burned to the groundand a further 128 are damaged in some way.