- In the severe winter of 1886, when outdoor work came to a standstill, the London’s poor exploded in a riot demanding removal of poverty.
- Many shopkeepers closed their shops as thousands marched from Deptford to London. They were dispersed by the police.
- A similar riot occurred in 1887, which was also brutally suppressed by the police and what is known as the Bloody Sunday of November 1887.
- Two years later, thousands of dockworkers went on strike. So, large masses could be drawn into political causes in the city. A large population in a city is therefore, both a threat and an opportunity.