Sunday, October 02, 2016

Battle of Cable Street - 80th Anniversity of "East London Routs The Fascists"

On Tuesday 4 October 2016 it is the 80th anniversary of the 1936 "Battle of Cable Street" when anti-
fascists stopped a march through the (then) largely Jewish East End of London by Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists.

I have worked in Tower Hamlets for nearly 25 years. My first trade union branch secretary was the daughter of Phil Piratin, one of the chief Cable Street anti-fascist organisers (and later elected as a "Red Stepney" Communist MP).

There is a march and rally next Sunday 9 October 2016 (see below). Max Levitas, who is an original Cable Street veteran, and I have heard speak a number of times (and has joined our West Ham Labour Party street stalls in recent years) will be a speaker.

"Sunday, 9th October

 Assemble 12 noon @ Altab Ali Park, Whitechapel Road, London E1.
March to a rally @ St George’s Gardens, Cable Street. Speakers before and after the march include: Max Levitas (Cable Street veteran), Jeremy Corbyn MP, Rushanara Ali MP, Frances O’Grady (General Secretary, TUC), Unmesh Desai (GLA member, City and East London)

Speakers confirmed to date: Max Levitas (Cable Street veteran), Jeremy Corbyn MP, Rushanara Ali MP, Frances O’Grady (General Secretary, TUC), John Biggs (Mayor of Tower Hamlets), Unmesh Desai (GLA member, City and East London), Michael Rosen, Gerry Gable (Searchlight Research Associates), Weyman Bennett (Unite Against Fascism), Manus O’Riordan (Ireland IBMT), Glyn Robbins (United East End), Julia Bard (Jewish Socialists’ Group), Roger Mackenzie (UNISON) Alex Kenny (East London NUT), Shahriar Bin Ali (Bangladesh Workers Council, Amelia Womack (Green Party), Matt Wrack (FBU), Mick Cash (RMT), Sarah Sackman (Jewish Labour Movement), Tony Donaghey (Connolly Association), Mary Davis (new Stoke Newington synagogue), Leon Silver (East London Central Synagogue), Richard Humm (Cable Street Group)

Chairs: (Altab Ali Park) David Rosenberg, JSG; (St George’s Gardens) Megan Dobney, SERTUC

Plus marching bands including the Great Yiddish Parade and Udichi
Bring family, friends, work colleagues, neighbours! Bring Banners!"

On Wednesday 5 October 2016 at 6.30pm, Labour GLA Member, Unmesh Desai, will be joining other speakers at the Trinity Centre in East Ham to talk about "Battle of Cable Street: Lessons for present struggles"(organised by East End Together)

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