The Battle of Cable Street

In the wake of recent political events in the UK (most notably the political rise of far-right nationalism), I thought it would be interesting to look back at the events of Oct 4th 1936, which saw a battle against the rise of fascism in the heart of East London; The Battle of Cable Street.

“On Oct 4th 1936, over 250,000 ordinary east enders, took to the streets to fight their own war against fascism. The ensuing clashes became known as “The Battle of Cable Street”.

Europe was in the grip of Fascism. Both Germany and Italy were led by dictators and civil war had broken out in Spain, after a fascist uprising.

Britain had the British Union of Fascist (BUF) headed by the glamorous and charismatic Sir Oswald Mosley and his blackshirts.

Mosley is saluted by female blackshirts

The BUF had been terrorising Jews throughout the East End. On Oct 4th they planned to march through Stepney, an area with the largest Jewish population in England.

Despite petitions from local Jewish groups the Conservative government refused to ban the march.

The blackshirts assembled at Gardner’s Corner, a famous department store in Aldgate, known as the gateway to the east End.

Their way was blocked by thousands of demonstrators, made up of communists, Jews, dockers and labourers from the local community.

They flooded the narrow streets, making them impassable. They carried banners and chanted “They Shall Not Pass” a slogan adopted from the Spanish Republicans.”

A lone tram driver stopped his tram in the middle of a junction blocking the blackshirts way. The driver then got out and walked off.

Barricades had been erected in the side streets to stop the march getting past. Over 10,000 police officers had been drafted in and they mounted constant baton charges to try and clear the streets.

Four thousand officers on horseback joined the charges, as the anti-fascists fought back with chair legs, marbles and stones.

An East End blockade of the fascist march

In Cable Street a hasty barricade was erected, made of mattresses, furniture, planks of wood from a local builders yard and even a lorry.

Women in houses along the street contributed by hurling rotten vegetables, rubbish, bottles and the contents of chamber pots onto the police as they attempted to dismantle the barricade.

Finally, the police gave in and told Mosley to march back through the deserted City of London streets to The Embankment. There was jubilation and partying in the streets of the East End.

-From http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2006/10/03/cablestreet_battle_feature.shtml

If the BNP ever work up the guts to march through the streets and openly attack minorities (not simply assault and terrorise them away from the limelight, as many members have been convicted for over the years), ‘They shall not pass!’ must be our rallying cry, just as it was over 70 years ago.

For more info, check out;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/sep/30/thefarright.past

http://www.battleofcablestreet.co.uk/ (a panorama of a Cable Street mural commemorating the battle)

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