Manchester Black Parents' Association

Formed in early 1976, this committee sought to intervene to protect young black men from police violence and legal victimisation. With increasing clashes between black youths and the police, its members were on-call to

"rush to a situation of potential trouble, take down the numbers of the police men and/or security guards and ensure that, in case of subsequent legal action, some witnesses could be produced".

Throughout the late 1970s, many black parents in Moss Side felt that their children were being targeted by police, who would aggressively descend on the area in large numbers, and that their claims of racist violence or wrongful arrest were rarely investigated by authorities. By early 1981, the Association stated that the Moss Side police station

"has long been regarded by the black community as the operational base of a racist army in occupation".

Source: Observer 18/4/1976. p.4; Guardian, 8/6/1981, p.3