Part twelve of a series exploring the history of Leeds, using books and other stock resources held in the Leeds Libraries collections. For all the entries in this series, see our dedicated page.

The eleventh part of this series looked at the African-Caribbean community in Leeds, and ended with a reflection on the importance of community-produced news reporting – including publications such as Chapeltown News and The Voice.

The copy of the Voice newspaper seen in that previous entry in this series included an account of a racist attack on two young women in Chapeltown in the early 1980s. Sadly, such assaults and abuse was far from unknown in the volatile Leeds of the 1970s and 80s, which saw a rising problem with far-right groups.

The independent newspaper, the Leeds Other Paper, which launched in 1974 and which we hold bound copies of at the Central Library, provides an essential index to far-right activity in this period, as well as resistance from left-wing activists, particularly those working through student organisations such as the Rock Against Racism movement.

The LOP is also an essential source for activism in feminist and LGBT communities at this time, including a report of the first Reclaim the Night march in 1977 and the Leeds Women Against Clause 28 march in 1988.