Colour transparency; aftermath of the Poll Tax demonstration, by Hugh Robertson, 1990

A wrecked overturned car lies abandoned in Shaftesbury Avenue. The Anti-Poll Tax demonstrations of the previous day, 6 April 1990, had led to rioting in central London. Behind the car, Garfunkels restaurant is boarded up. Many central London businesses and restaurants near the route of the march boarded up their windows to protect their premises from the rioting. The Poll Tax, also known as the ‘Community Charge’, was introduced in 1990. The tax was no longer linked to the price of property, so everyone apart from certain groups had to pay a flat rate. The tax was perceived as unfair, and by June of that year 27% of Londoners still had not paid. Because the Community Charge was so deeply unpopular, it was replaced in 1993 by the Council Tax.