London’s martyred terrier: the amazing story of the Brown Dog Riots.
In 1907. London medical students rioted over a statue of a dog. How did this happen, and why?
One hundred and seventeen years ago last week, on December 10, 1907, a riot occurred at the Latchmere Estate, in a section of London called Battersea. About 100 medical students from University College London stormed a small square at Latchmere, trying to tear down a bronze statue of a dog. Thwarted in this attempt, the students continued to march across London, their ranks swelling with fellow college students and men emerging from pubs, while worried police moved to intercept them. At Trafalgar Square the police charged the demonstrators on horseback, resulting in an epic street battle that lasted for several hours. Although police put down the riot, various other disturbances erupted throughout December in various places, some degenerating into pitched brawls involving thrown furniture and smoke bombs.
Yes, you read that right. These riots were incited by medical students over a statue of a dog—a terrier, in fact. The obvious question: why?
