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Poll Tax demonstrator and Met Police van, Central London
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Poll Tax demonstrator and Met Police van, Central London
A Poll Tax demonstrator aims a metal barrier at the back of a Police van, during a violent demonstration in Central London. Date: 31 March 1990
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Media ID 23034364
© Metropolitan Police Authority/Mary Evans
1990 1990s Aiming Barrier Beer Bitter Chaos Charge Community Conflict Damage Debris Demo Demonstration Demonstrator Destruction Downfall Hoarding Metropolitan Nineties Poll Riot Rioting Tension Thatcher Unrest Violence Violent
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In this evocative image from the tumultuous year of 1990, a Poll Tax demonstrator in Central London raises a metal barrier towards the back of a Metropolitan Police van, marking a pivotal moment during a violent demonstration against the unpopular Community Charge, also known as the Poll Tax. The Poll Tax, introduced by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government, was a local tax based on the occupancy of a property rather than on income or ability to pay. The policy sparked widespread protests and civil unrest across the United Kingdom. The scene depicted in this photograph exudes tension and chaos. Debris and roadblocks litter the street, while the hoarding in the background bears the advertisement for Tetley Bitter Beer, a stark contrast to the violent clash unfolding before it. The demonstrator's determined stance and the Police van's ominous presence create a palpable sense of conflict and unrest. The Poll Tax riots, as they came to be known, were a significant turning point in British political history. The events of March 31, 1990, marked the downfall of Thatcher's government and her eventual resignation as Prime Minister in November of that year. This image serves as a poignant reminder of the intense political tension and social unrest that characterized the late 1980s and early 1990s in the United Kingdom.
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