One hundred years ago, on July 19, 1919, riots broke out in Luton Town centre and the Town Hall was set alight.
When only the privileged were invite to Luton’s Peace Day celebrations honouring the end of World War One, veterans and their families came together to demand recognition and inclusion.
Dissatisfied with the response to their demands, they rioted in the street, setting the Town Hall alight and as it burned Lutonians broke into a nearby music shop, dragged pianos out into the street and danced and sang while the building burned.
A century on and Luton marked the occasion with a riotous celebration in St George’s Square, featuring talented local artists to tell the story of the acts of resistance that have defined our world over the last 100 years, by the people that stand up and fight for the what they believe in.
Around 1,500 people braved the rain to attend the People Power Passion outdoor spectacular, which featured 100 local performers and artists from Luton and celebrating the centenary of the Peace Day riots. The event, which comprised music and dance representing Luton’s vibrant and diverse communities, was an explosion of colour and sound combined with powerful messages around social involvement.
Performers included seminal post-punk band UK Decay, Ilyssa Elektra, Gospel artist Andrew Parkes, Osagyefo, UKCCA, Jazz Flavourz, Tinker’s Lane, Kadam Dance and Next Generation Youth Theatre, to name a few. Local spoken word artist Lee Nelson began the celebrations with a powerful poem about the Peace Day riots.
Cllr Rachel Hopkins, Luton Council portfolio holder for culture, said: “I know the weather unfortunately impacted on attendance, but it was fantastic to see so many local people come to watch the outdoor spectacular. Its success was the result of hours and hours of hard work by local artists, performers and the organisers.
“We delivered an event that showed Luton as the exciting and vibrant town it actually is, whilst recognising the remarkable events of the Peace Day riots 100 years ago. We’re confident that this was a powerful demonstration of what we can achieve as a town, working together towards our ambitions for City of Culture.”
And those Lutonians in attendance couldn’t agree more as they celebrated the changing fortunes.
