Deadly riots break out in London

The radical MP John Wilkes attracted loyal support for his outspoken criticism of the government. However, as Danny Bird explains, outrage at his 1768 arrest for libel paved the way for bloodshed and anarchy

- Danny Bird

On 10 May 1768, a crowd of about 15,000 people gathered on St George's Fields in Southwark, south London. The focus of their protest was the adjacent King's Bench Prison, where their champion, the radical MP John Wilkes, had recently been incarcerated for seditious libel.

As tensions escalated, magistrates appealed for armed support. Before long, word of a man's murder by soldiers inflamed the febrile situation. When the Riot Act was read out, projectiles rained down on the troops, prompting them to fire at the crowd. Panic surged across the large open space, the multitude dispersed, and riots erupted all over London.

RABBLE-ROUSING

Six years prior, Wilkes had founded a satirical newspaper, The North Briton. Its editorial line was particularly scathing of the Earl of Bute, the prime minister and mentor to the young George III. The conclusion of the Seven Years' War in 1763 led to the king hailing the peace terms before the House of Lords - something Wilkes deemed outrageous. Days later, The North Briton's 45th issue denounced the king's address and attacked his ministers for encouraging him to accept the Treaty of Paris' "most odious measures".