Parallel Lives 

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Parallel Lives: Episode Three: Bradford

Episode 3

Episode Three: Bradford

Parallel Lives

BBC Radio 4 - Parallel Lives, Episode Three: Bradford

Barnie Choudhury considers the riots of summer 2001 - as the violence reaches Bradford.

Barnie Choudhury returns to gripping recordings from the summer of 2001. As the rioting reaches Bradford he asks - what does the violence tell us about Britain now?

In the final part of the series about the northern riots of 2001, after Oldham and Burnley comes Bradford. 
On July 7 tensions were high in the city, as an anti-fascist demonstration is gripped by rumours that the far right had arrived. Within minutes what had been a carnival atmosphere became the scene of such violence that 1,000 police officers from ten different forces were called upon to restore order.
Barnie Choudhury listens back to the recordings he made in the thick of the conflict, to ask what lessons can be learned about racial tension in the UK now. 
A report into the violence by Professor Ted Cantle found that communities were living "parallel lives" which seldom crossed the racial divide, creating a toxic mix of myths, suspicion and mistrust. 
Twenty years on Barnie talks to a rioter from Oldham whose life was changed by sentences viewed as draconian. Adeeba Malik CBE, Deputy Chief Executive of QED, an organisation which seeks to improve opportunities for people in Bradford, describes what happened when proud families regretted turning in their sons to the police. Former senior police officer Martin Baines explains he believes there was a lack of understanding about just how serious the behaviour on the day had been. Barnie also visits Mohammed Ali Yunis who runs Bradford Modified Club - which at a ground level unites car loves across ethnic divides and hears from Molly and Riffat from Bradford Women for Peace who put themselves on the frontline to prevent a return to violence. 

Presented by Barnie Choudhury
Produced by Kevin Core
Assistant Producer Emb Hashmi

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