Kevin Gately became the first person to die in a public demonstration in Great Britain in at least 55 years, following clashes at Red Lion Square in 1974.
Key Facts
- Date of death
- 15 June 1974
- Age at death
- 20 years old
- Location
- Red Lion Square, London
- Inquiry conducted by
- Lord Scarman
- First UK demonstration death in
- At least 55 years
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
On 15 June 1974, the National Front held a march through central London, prompting a counter-demonstration organised by Liberation. Hard-left groups, including the International Marxist Group (IMG), joined the counter-march. When demonstrators reached Red Lion Square, the IMG twice charged the police cordon blocking access to Conway Hall, triggering a confrontation with police reinforcements including mounted officers and the Special Patrol Group.
During the disorder at Red Lion Square, Kevin Gately, a student attending his first political demonstration, was found unconscious on the ground as crowds were forced from the square. He was taken to hospital and died later that day from a head injury. Lord Scarman's subsequent public inquiry found no evidence that police had directly caused his death, but attributed moral responsibility to those who initiated the riot.
The Red Lion Square disorders raised the National Front's public profile significantly in the United Kingdom. Although the IMG was widely criticised, opposition to the National Front grew at a local level. Further violence accompanied subsequent National Front marches in Birmingham, Manchester, East London, and Southall in 1979, where Blair Peach was killed. Gately and Peach were later described as martyrs against fascism by Labour MP Syd Bidwell.