A short documentary about the Newham 7 case and everyday racism and police harassment experienced by the Asian community of Newham.

A mid-1980s look at the state of race relations in East London’s Newham, this documentary features interviews with several members of the local Asian community. Their harrowing testimonies of racial harassment, and verbal and physical abuse, perpetuated not just by local thugs but also by the members of the police paint a grim picture of what it was like to be living in this part of London as a non-white person. The film’s main focus is an incident that happened outside a local pub in April 1984. After a confrontation between Asian and white youths turned violent, the police ended up arresting a number of young men from the Asian community who came to be known as the Newham 7 – while their white counterparts got off scot-free. There is swearing and scenes of violent protest as the community comes together in support of the accused, protesting against the injustice and the inadequate police response to ongoing racist attacks. Some of the Newham 7 are featured in the film, describing their ordeal and unfair treatment at the hands of police. Towards the end, a respondent expresses hope for the future – he observes that the attitudes within the Asian community are slowly changing and they are now more likely to stand up for themselves.

This film is from Newham Archives and Local Studies Library, a member of the London's Screen Archives Network.