Poll Tax Riots & Protests, 1990 | Photographs by David Corio

David Corio was born in London in 1960 and began his career as a professional photographer in 1978. Best known for his music photography and portraits, he has taken photographs for several renowned publications such as The Face, Time Out and NME. Aside from his music work, David also documented the Poll Tax Riots in London on the 31st of March, 1990. 

The Poll Tax riots were a notable moment in British history. They were the result of widespread anger that emerged due to the introduction of the Poll Tax by the Thatcher government. The Poll Tax was introduced as a replacement for the old “rates” system, which had been in place since the early 1600s. The new Poll Tax would snatch the same amount of money from everyone—regardless of wealth, leading to thousands of protests and marches across the country as middle and lower-income groups faced an economic burden.

The largest protests took place in and around Trafalgar Square in London on Saturday, March 31st, 1990. A large crowd had assembled in Kennington Park for a planned march that day. An estimated 200,000 people attended, many of whom joined the protest after an abandoned Labour Party rally. The march started at 1:30 pm, and the protesters quickly moved through the park gates. By 2:30 pm, Trafalgar Square was almost full, and by 3 pm, the march had come to a stop in Whitehall due to police concerns about a surge towards Downing Street. The police blocked the road, and some attendees became frustrated by what they saw as heavy-handed arrests, including one of a man in a wheelchair.

During the riot, around 113 people were injured. Most of them were members of the public, but some were police officers. The rioters attacked several shops, including Stringfellow’s nightclub and car showrooms. Cafés and wine bars in Covent Garden were set on fire, and some cars were also burned. The rioting lasted until 3 am, and 339 people were arrested.