On This Day
·

Fighting in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police Special Patrol Group results in the death of

Fighting in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police Special Patrol Group results in the death of protester Blair Peach

Clement Blair Peach (25 March 1946 – 24 April 1979) was a New Zealand teacher who was killed during an anti-racism demonstration in Southall, London, England. A campaigner and activist against the far right, in April 1979 Peach took part in an Anti-Nazi League demonstration in Southall against a National Front election meeting in the town hall and was hit on the head, probably by a member of the Special Patrol Group (SPG), a specialist unit within the Metropolitan Police Service. He died in hospital that night.

An investigation by Commander John Cass of the Metropolitan Police's Complaints Investigation Bureau concluded that Peach had been killed by one of six SPG officers, and others had preserved their silence to obstruct his investigation.

Historical Significance

Clement Blair Peach (25 March 1946 – 24 April 1979) was a New Zealand teacher who was killed during an anti-racism demonstration in Southall, London, England.

Events Before

  1. Air India Flight 855 crashes into the Arabian Sea less than two minutes after takeoff, killing all 213 people on board

    Air India Flight 855 was a scheduled passenger flight from Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

  2. TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert Hardy a

    TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert Hardy and Christopher Timothy

  3. Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1; stays on top for 24 weeks

    Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1; stays on top for 24 weeks

  4. Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, due to their harmful effect on the earth's ozone lay

    Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, due to their harmful effect on the earth's ozone layer

  5. Novelist Danielle Steel (30) divorces Danny Zugelder after almost 3 years of marriage

    Novelist Danielle Steel (30) divorces Danny Zugelder after almost 3 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Chrysler Europe is renamed Talbot

    Chrysler Europe was the American automotive company Chrysler's operations in Europe from 1967 through 1978.

  2. Real Records releases "Pretenders" in the UK, the debut album by The Pretenders

    Pretenders is the debut studio album by British-American band the Pretenders, released in January 1980. A combination of rock and roll, punk and new wave music, it was an immediate success.

  3. Pink Floyd's double album "The Wall" hits #1

    The Wall is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest CBS Records. It is the last album to include all four post-Barrett-era band members.

  4. US President Jimmy Carter announces a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afgh

    US President Jimmy Carter announces a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

  5. Cypriot-American model Angie Bowie (30) divorces British singer David Bowie (33) after just under 10 years of marriage

    Cypriot-American model Angie Bowie (30) divorces British singer David Bowie (33) after just under 10 years of marriage

More from the 1970s

death

Erroll Garner dies

Erroll Garner dies

birth

Chai Jing is born

Chai Jing, Chinese journalist and environmental activist, known for chinese journalist and environmental activist, was born on 1976-01-01. Chai Jing is a Chinese journalist.

Charles "Chub" Feeney becomes the President of Major League Baseball's National League

Charles Stoneham "Chub" Feeney (August 31, 1921 – January 10, 1994) was an Irish-American front office executive in Major League Baseball.

Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US

Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 23, 1979?
Clement Blair Peach (25 March 1946 – 24 April 1979) was a New Zealand teacher who was killed during an anti-racism demonstration in Southall, London, England. A campaigner and activist against the far right, in April 1979 Peach took part in an Anti-Nazi League demonstration in Southall against a National Front election meeting in the town hall and was hit on the head, probably by a member of the Special Patrol Group (SPG), a specialist unit within the Metropolitan Police Service. He died in hospital that night.
Why is Fighting in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police S... significant?
Clement Blair Peach (25 March 1946 – 24 April 1979) was a New Zealand teacher who was killed during an anti-racism demonstration in Southall, London, England.

Explore More

April 23 in HistoryYear 1979