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Yesterday was the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street (wiki) when a motley collection of socialists, trade unionists, communists, Irish dockers, Jewish shopkeepers and thousands ordinary people faced down and stopped a deliberately provocative march by Oswald Mosley and thousands of his uniformed fascists supporters from the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists.
Baronet Mosley, a former Labour party MP, had declared October 4th to be "a day of destiny and reckoning" and planned to lead his Blackshirt army east from the Tower of London to occupy the "Jew-ridden and communistic" dockside areas. All the while chanting "Britain for the British" and "We’re going to get rid of the Yids"
Despite petitions requests from local leaders the Home Secretary, John Simon, refused to ban the march or force an alteration to it's route; untruthfully claiming he lacked the powers to so. In fact the Home Office did have the authority and had previously used it against communist marches.
Mosley’s Blackshirts would be guarded by thousands of police, including hundreds of mounted police, who would be tasked with forcing the locals to allow the chanting fascists through their areas.
But opposition grew, from anti-fascist groups and local people; roadblocks are constructed with the principal barricade near the junction with Christian Street, towards the west end of Cable Street. About twenty thousand people turned out to oppose the fascists, chanting "They shall not pass", to be met by around six thousand police and four thousand fascists. Police attempts to remove the barricades were met with missiles and improvised weapons, including fireworks, slingshots and marbles. Rubbish, rotten vegetables and the contents of chamber pots were thrown at the police by many women in houses along the street.
After a series of running battles, and police baton charges, the march was abandoned. The Independent Labour Party leader, Fenner Brockway, had contacted the Home Office forecasting major rioting and manjor casualties if the march was continued and the Commissioner of the Metroplitan Police, Sir Philip Game, ordered the fascists to leave; "It was obvious to him, as it was to everyone, that any attempt to force a way for the Fascist column would have meant serious riot and bloodshed".
Around 4PM the Blackshirts were escorted out of Royal Mint Street by police and marched down the Embankment, away from East London, skulking off in defeat. Though they didn't take their humiliation well; insults were shouted at anyone of "Jewish appearance", some were spat upon and some missiles were thrown.
An attempt to hold a meeting at Trafalgar Square was also blocked by police.
About 150 demonstrators were arrested, many beaten severely by police while in custody, although many more escaped with the help of other demonstrators or were broken from custody. Several members of the police were "arrested" by demonstrators. About two hundred people were injured.
I'll leave the last word on Mosley to Messrs Smith and Jones, and their associates.
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References.
The Guardian.
Time.
Al Jazeera.
Quote:
|
And so we learn from history generations have to fight And those who crave for mastery Must be faced down on sight And if that means by words, by fists, by stones or by the gun |
Yesterday was the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street (wiki) when a motley collection of socialists, trade unionists, communists, Irish dockers, Jewish shopkeepers and thousands ordinary people faced down and stopped a deliberately provocative march by Oswald Mosley and thousands of his uniformed fascists supporters from the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists.
Baronet Mosley, a former Labour party MP, had declared October 4th to be "a day of destiny and reckoning" and planned to lead his Blackshirt army east from the Tower of London to occupy the "Jew-ridden and communistic" dockside areas. All the while chanting "Britain for the British" and "We’re going to get rid of the Yids"
Despite petitions requests from local leaders the Home Secretary, John Simon, refused to ban the march or force an alteration to it's route; untruthfully claiming he lacked the powers to so. In fact the Home Office did have the authority and had previously used it against communist marches.
Mosley’s Blackshirts would be guarded by thousands of police, including hundreds of mounted police, who would be tasked with forcing the locals to allow the chanting fascists through their areas.
But opposition grew, from anti-fascist groups and local people; roadblocks are constructed with the principal barricade near the junction with Christian Street, towards the west end of Cable Street. About twenty thousand people turned out to oppose the fascists, chanting "They shall not pass", to be met by around six thousand police and four thousand fascists. Police attempts to remove the barricades were met with missiles and improvised weapons, including fireworks, slingshots and marbles. Rubbish, rotten vegetables and the contents of chamber pots were thrown at the police by many women in houses along the street.
After a series of running battles, and police baton charges, the march was abandoned. The Independent Labour Party leader, Fenner Brockway, had contacted the Home Office forecasting major rioting and manjor casualties if the march was continued and the Commissioner of the Metroplitan Police, Sir Philip Game, ordered the fascists to leave; "It was obvious to him, as it was to everyone, that any attempt to force a way for the Fascist column would have meant serious riot and bloodshed".
Around 4PM the Blackshirts were escorted out of Royal Mint Street by police and marched down the Embankment, away from East London, skulking off in defeat. Though they didn't take their humiliation well; insults were shouted at anyone of "Jewish appearance", some were spat upon and some missiles were thrown.
An attempt to hold a meeting at Trafalgar Square was also blocked by police.
About 150 demonstrators were arrested, many beaten severely by police while in custody, although many more escaped with the help of other demonstrators or were broken from custody. Several members of the police were "arrested" by demonstrators. About two hundred people were injured.
I'll leave the last word on Mosley to Messrs Smith and Jones, and their associates.
[yt]LPCZvYu0QBA[/yt]
References.
The Guardian.
Time.
Al Jazeera.
via International Skeptics Forum http://ift.tt/2d2FEUw
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