The Siege of Sidney Street

A dramatic standoff between Metropolitan Police and Latvian anarchists unfolded in the East End of London on 3rd January, 1911 - when two men suspected of murdering policemen in a jewellery heist were surrounded by armed authorities.

As tensions escalated, Winston Churchill, then the Home Secretary, mobilised a significant military force to Sidney Street, where the anarchists, armed with powerful weapons, responded with fierce gunfight. The spectacle attracted onlookers, reporters, news cameras, and even Churchill himself.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly look back at this flashpoint for anti-immigrant sentiment in Britain; explain how the confrontation became a lightning rod for the debate around traditional policing methods; and reveal why, if you wanted a drink that morning, you needed to get your round in early…

Further Reading:

• ‘Sidney St: The siege that shook Britain’ (BBC News, 2011): http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9278000/9278432.stm
• ‘Sidney Street siege resonates even 100 years on’ (The Guardian, 2011): https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jan/02/sidney-street-siege-100-years

‘The Siege of Sidney Street Gunfight’ (British Pathé, 1911): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDPHz4w3zvg

Love the show? Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS 🌴 to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode every SUNDAY!

Plus, get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast.

Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!

We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors

The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices