The Battle of Cable Street

[Donnie]

OCTOBER 4, 1936, remains a landmark in working class history – the day when the East End stopped Mosley’s Blackshirts and dealt British fascism a blow from which it never fully recovered. With the same area once again targeted by fascists, the Battle of Cable Street contains valuable lessons for today.

The fascists were due to gather in Royal Mint Street at 2.30pm. "Hours beforehand every street between the Mint and Aldgate was thronged with people", the Daily Worker reported. Up to 300,000 anti-fascists had assembled, with 50,000 pressed around Gardner’s Corner alone. Ten thousand police, according to the Daily Herald’s estimate, were brought in from all over London and deployed to protect the fascist march in what was obviously a well-prepared battle-plan:
"Many of the side-streets ... were cordoned off by police long before the march was due to start. No one was allowed to go through unless he could satisfy the cordon officer that he had legitimate business there. The inhabitants were scarcely permitted to leave these streets at all.... The police called every modern device into action to help them in their activities."
The crowds showed what they thought of the Labour leaders’ pacifist advice: "At 1.30 two lone Blackshirts appeared at Royal Mint Street. They were told to stand against the wall and six policemen were detached to stand in front of them, hiding them from the crowd. Shortly afterwards a covered vanload of Blackshirts appeared. As the first two men dismounted the crowd was on them before the police could intervene, and in another second both were stretched out unconscious. Then the police activities started in earnest. From all quarters foot and mounted police appeared on the scene. Within ten minutes, there were three baton charges in Royal Mint Street, and all the while crowds were being pushed back and more streets cordoned off. Eventually the Minories was closed entirely and the crowd pushed back down Cable Street. By this time Royal Mint Street itself was emptied of workers and was occupied by 500 police and the assembling fascist forces which came up mostly in closed vans."
The Daily Herald found its pleas similarly ignored: "Outside Mark Lane station the crowd closed in on six of Mosley’s men, and before the police could do anything three of the Fascists had been knocked down and were bleeding profusely from head-wounds. One of them had been hit on the head with a bottle. Several men and women were hurt in a fierce exchange of blows.... But the police precautions enabled the rest of the Fascists to assemble unmolested. They formed in military formation, a column of 3,000 stretching for half a mile, with over 200 black-bloused women in the centre.... The Blackshirts jeered back at distant booing. ‘The Yids, the Yids, we are going to get rid of the Yids’, they chanted, or, ‘M-0-S-L-E-Y, we want Mosley’, to which the crowd shouted back, ‘So do we, dead or alive’. New detachments arrived in the steel-protected Fascist vans, behind steel-wire meshing."23 Police attempted to clear the streets close to Royal Mint Street with repeated baton charges. Workers responded with stones, fireworks and marbles hurled under horses’ hooves chanting "They shall not pass!".
The confrontation between police and anti-fascists was concentrated on Cable Street, through which the fascists were intending to march. Some of those arrested were liberated, and several policemen themselves "arrested". The brutality of the police only succeeded in spurring on the anti-fascists: "Barricades were built in the street, and packing cases, a lorry and a couple of carts, to say nothing of the contents of a builder’s yard, were called into service to build it. Paving stones were tom up and broken into convenient sizes to serve as ammunition, glasses and bottles were broken and the splintered glass ground into the road to impede the passage of the mounted. The police tried to stop these operations but were powerless to do so."
Having retreated, the police later returned with reinforcements, cleared the street with a baton charge, and set about dismantling the barricades. Several hours later, the scene still resembled "the aftermath of a battle in Spain", according to one eyewitness.
The demonstrators showed an admirable gift for organisation – some of it planned, some improvised. Local headquarters were established to direct the struggle. Motor cyclists and cyclists were organised to carry messages, and both the CP and ILP established first aid stations to treat those injured.
Mosley finally rolled up in a black sports car around 3.40pm – over an hour late, and ten minutes after the march was due to set off. "Union Jacks on decorated poles rose in the air and a forest of hands above the black-coated ranks went up in salute as Sir Oswald, wearing the new Blackshirt uniform, with a peaked cap, drove down the ranks with two other officers of the movement."
Shortly before this, the police had begun preparing to clear a route towards Houndsditch for the BUF march. But by the time Mosley spoke to the Police Commissioner these plans had been abandoned and Mosley was told that the march could not proceed because of the threat of disorder. The intervention of ILP leader Fenner Brockway, who phoned the Home Office, may have had some influence on the Police Commissioner’s U-turn.27 But, as the Herald reporter pointed out, "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".
At 4pm the Blackshirts were escorted out of Royal Mint Street by thousands of police and diverted down the Embankment – away from East London. As the fascists skulked off towards the West End, "everyone of Jewish appearance was insulted and in some cases they were spat upon".29 When they reached Trafalgar Square the fascists tried to hold a meeting there but were prevented from doing so by the police. They were forced to disperse, having been comprehensively humiliated.

[h&s]

'Twas a good day....

[balderdash]

"everyone of Jewish appearance was insulted and in some cases they were spat upon"

If this happened, Mosley didn't support it.
Mosley has insulted Fascists for anti-semitism, multiple times.
Although I know this would be a splendid way to form a smear campaign against Oswald Mosley and all Fascists.

[balderdash]

Originally posted by h&s@Aug 17 2005, 01:35 PM
'Twas a good day....

As usual, support for mass violence.
And people constantly talk about Fascism being inherently violent.

[Organic Revolution]

fascism should be fought with every bone in our body. fascism is inherently authoritarian. smash the fash.

[Donnie]

fascism should be fought with every bone in our body. fascism is inherently authoritarian. smash the fash.

Very much agreed. Bash bash the fash.

And people constantly talk about Fascism being inherently violent.

Our ideology is not violent. We fight back against you lot because we know if you boneheads got in power there would be so much violence and oppression.

[PishPosh]

Donnie, Fascists think violence would be rampant among an Anarchist nation, this is a debate in and of itself.
Mussolini WAS NOT OPRESSIVE before he simply became a puppet government of Nazi Germany.

[1968]

Video Footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AQDOjQGZuA

[Forward Union]

Theres a wicked mural aswell



and Plaque

[Forward Union]

Here is the original newsreel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AQDOjQGZuA

[spartan]

Great videos but Urban Spirit yours is exactly the same as 1968's video! This was a great moment in the history of working class resistance to fascism in Britain as it was the point for the fascists where everything after that went balls up for them and they were crippled as a movement in Britain. Of course they are getting a resurgence of some sorts right now because they are attracting ignorant people who blame the wrong side for the economic troubles and general problems that we now face but still i dont think in Britain at least that they will ever become a truely big political force again. Not unless the tories drop political correctness to reveal their true racist side which we just know they are dying to.

[Pia Fidelis]

Originally posted by balderdash@August 19, 2005 02:36 pm

"everyone of Jewish appearance was insulted and in some cases they were spat upon"

If this happened, Mosley didn't support it.
Mosley has insulted Fascists for anti-semitism, multiple times.
Although I know this would be a splendid way to form a smear campaign against Oswald Mosley and all Fascists.

This is true. Mosley was against the Racial connotations of National Socialism, and his BUF in the 30's and 40's were called the "British Jewnion of Fascists" because of their (non-religious) Jewish membership.

Actually, Oswald Mosley and Adolf Hitler were at ends with many things in this regard, to the point that Hitler, via telegram, informed Mosley that if he did not stop critising National Socialism that he "would be dealt with" - this is also the case with Benito Mussolini. Mosley, like Mussolini, sold out his doctrinal Fascism to National Socialism, but for Mosley it did not end in the destruction and occupation of an entire country.

[Jazzratt]

They shall not pass.

Not then, not now, not ever.

[Invader Zim]

Originally posted by Pia Fidelis+September 14, 2007 07:17 pm--> (Pia Fidelis @ September 14, 2007 07:17 pm)

balderdash

@August 19, 2005 02:36 pm

"everyone of Jewish appearance was insulted and in some cases they were spat upon"

If this happened, Mosley didn't support it.
Mosley has insulted Fascists for anti-semitism, multiple times.
Although I know this would be a splendid way to form a smear campaign against Oswald Mosley and all Fascists.

This is true. Mosley was against the Racial connotations of National Socialism, and his BUF in the 30's and 40's were called the "British Jewnion of Fascists" because of their (non-religious) Jewish membership.

Actually, Oswald Mosley and Adolf Hitler were at ends with many things in this regard, to the point that Hitler, via telegram, informed Mosley that if he did not stop critising National Socialism that he "would be dealt with" - this is also the case with Benito Mussolini. Mosley, like Mussolini, sold out his doctrinal Fascism to National Socialism, but for Mosley it did not end in the destruction and occupation of an entire country. [/b]

My former flatmate at university did his undergrad dissertation on Mosley's anti-semitism, or lack of, and concluded that he was an anti-semite. Incidentally he got a first for that, as I recall, so you can be assured he wasn't talking bollocks.

[Pia Fidelis]

Originally posted by Invader Zim+September 15, 2007 12:50 pm--> (Invader Zim @ September 15, 2007 12:50 pm)

Originally posted by Pia [email protected] 14, 2007 07:17 pm

balderdash

@August 19, 2005 02:36 pm

"everyone of Jewish appearance was insulted and in some cases they were spat upon"

If this happened, Mosley didn't support it.
Mosley has insulted Fascists for anti-semitism, multiple times.
Although I know this would be a splendid way to form a smear campaign against Oswald Mosley and all Fascists.

This is true. Mosley was against the Racial connotations of National Socialism, and his BUF in the 30's and 40's were called the "British Jewnion of Fascists" because of their (non-religious) Jewish membership.

Actually, Oswald Mosley and Adolf Hitler were at ends with many things in this regard, to the point that Hitler, via telegram, informed Mosley that if he did not stop critising National Socialism that he "would be dealt with" - this is also the case with Benito Mussolini. Mosley, like Mussolini, sold out his doctrinal Fascism to National Socialism, but for Mosley it did not end in the destruction and occupation of an entire country.

My former flatmate at university did his undergrad dissertation on Mosley's anti-semitism, or lack of, and concluded that he was an anti-semite. Incidentally he got a first for that, as I recall, so you can be assured he wasn't talking bollocks. [/b]

As I said, he became influenced by the tenants of National Socialism, and that is why his organisation changed from the BUF to the BUFNS (British Union of Fascists and National Socialists) - which is a HUGE contradiction in of itself.

Fascist doctrine is completely void of racial connotation, but National Socialism, and the automatic relation between the two doctrines, has forever tainted the original writings of Fascism in the minds of the masses.

[Invader Zim]

which is a HUGE contradiction in of itself.

Hardly, the Nazi ideals of the racially pure volksgemeinschaft are hardly massively removed from fascism. To paraphrase one of my tutors from my undergrad days Nazism is little more than proto-fascism in nature, despite developing chronologically after Italian fascism.

[spartan]

National Socialism is Fascism with the racial purity shit thrown in for free. Both however are ultimately reactionary as they take workers away from the real causes of their exploitation and suffering which is Capitalism. As far as i know Mosley was not an anti semite originally and the BUF did in fact have several high ranking members who were openly Jewish as well as many Jewish buissness people who helped finance the BUF movement. I think Mosley liked the strong man uniform image of Fascism as well as the economic model of Corporatism and thought that these things would help Britain regain its place as the dominant power in the world or something stupid like that. All in all Fascism and National Socialism must be resisted with the utmost force and violence by the Left as violence is the only language the Fash know and is the only thing that can stop them in my opinion!

[Pia Fidelis]

Originally posted by Invader Zim@September 15, 2007 02:02 pm

which is a HUGE contradiction in of itself.

Hardly, the Nazi ideals of the racially pure volksgemeinschaft are hardly massively removed from fascism. To paraphrase one of my tutors from my undergrad days Nazism is little more than proto-fascism in nature, despite developing chronologically after Italian fascism.

Giovanni Gentile, who is to Fascism what Marx is to Communism, was harshly opposed to Racialist ideals and policies. The same is true for Enrico Corradini, Alfredo Rocco, Sergio Panunzio, Ugo Spirito and Camillo Pellizzi - all of whom made up the Italian Fascist "inner-circle". It is also important to note that NONE of these philosophers/thinkers endorsed Italy's adoption of German racial policy in the 1930's. Infact, many leading Anti-Racist Fascists were killed for not supporting such policies - the most high ranking of which were Italo Balbo and Giovanni Gentile.

It is when Mussolini handed over Italy to German control that the lines between Fascism and National Socialism began to blur - Italy eventually becoming a National Socialist state in 1944.

[spartan]

It is not yet clear whether Italo Balbos death was assassination or an accident like the official verdict claimed by the Fascist government of Italy at the time. It should be noted that Balbo was a respected aviator who was one of Italy's best air commanders so assassination would be a pretty stupid thing for the government of Italy to do for something as meaningless as Balbo being oppossed to a new set of laws. The anti aircraft gunner who shot down Balbo said in 1997 that it was not an assassination attempt and that when he saw the aircraft he could not work out whether it was a British plane or an Italian plane because the plane was coming in in front of the sun therefore blinding the view of the AA gunner who eventually decided to shoot the unidentified plane down. Seeing how the Fascist government of Italy is long dead there is no real reason for the AA gunner who accidentily killed Balbo to carry on lieing if it was assassination.

[Pia Fidelis]

Originally posted by spartan@September 16, 2007 01:50 pm
It is not yet clear whether Italo Balbos death was assassination or an accident like the official verdict claimed by the Fascist government of Italy at the time. It should be noted that Balbo was a respected aviator who was one of Italy's best air commanders so assassination would be a pretty stupid thing for the government of Italy to do for something as meaningless as Balbo being oppossed to a new set of laws. The anti aircraft gunner who shot down Balbo said in 1997 that it was not an assassination attempt and that when he saw the aircraft he could not work out whether it was a British plane or an Italian plane because the plane was coming in in front of the sun therefore blinding the view of the AA gunner who eventually decided to shoot the unidentified plane down. Seeing how the Fascist government of Italy is long dead there is no real reason for the AA gunner who accidentily killed Balbo to carry on lieing if it was assassination.

Actually, there is surmountable evidence that shows that it was actually German 88 Flak that took down Italo Balbo's plane. It should also be mentioned that this case of "friendly fire" erupted within days of taking a firm stand against the National Socialist policies overtaking Italy. The Gestapo, before this incident, already had a file on Italo Balbo in which he was described as a "possible threat".

Also, this form of "accidental" killings was in full use by Germany during this period. In some cases, the German government funded a third party to do their dirty work within their "allied" countries.