The Beauty Queen Riots - 3. A Riot Rages

Amardeep Bassey speaks to eye-witnesses who describe the scale of violence that took place that evening. And we hear of the heartbreak of one family. Isaiah Young-Sam’s cousin remembers the moment he heard how Isaiah was stabbed and killed while trying to make his way home that night. He was an innocent young man trying to avoid the anger and the rage. In the aftermath of the violence, a mediation team attempts to calm the situation down. Beauty Queen Riots is a five-part series looking at the Lozells and Handsworth riots of 2005 in Birmingham. It’s a story that takes us into the conflicting and sometimes uncomfortable world of interethnic conflict in modern Britain. Journalist Amardeep Bassey returns to investigate a story he first covered 18 years ago. What happened and what did we miss back then which might have explained why people took to the streets with such force? And what lessons can be learned 20 years on? Producer: Ben Tulloh Executive Editor: Bridget Harney Music and Mix: Alex Portfelix A Burning Bright production for BBC Radio 4