Max Levitas - Battle of Cable Street Anti Fascist Veteran RIP

Life long anti-fascist and former "Red Stepney" Councillor for 15 years, Max Levitas, has passed away aged 103. I first met Max many years ago when he was probably in his late 80s and he addressed a meeting of Tower Hamlets residents opposed to the stock transfer of its Council estates to housing associations.

To my surprise, after savaging the Council, he then turned his fire on certain left wing anti stock transfer protestors, who he also attacked in no uncertain terms. I asked a trade union colleague, who was a member of the trotskyist SWP sitting next to me, what was going on? He replied "We are still the Wreckers and Splitters".  Max was of course also a lifelong supporter of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). Fabulous photo of Max above by Charlotte Barnes.

Max was the son of Jewish refugees who fled Eastern Europe to escape Russian persecution. He and his brothers Sol and Maurice fought alongside thousands of local residents and stopped the fascists marching through East London at the Battle of Cable Street in 1936.  See the Battle of Cable Street Memorial above.

Check out this marvellous interview of Max on Channel 4 News.

Max used to take number 25 bus from Stepney to do his shopping twice a month in the Stratford Centre, Newham and occasionally he would join our regular Saturday, West Ham Labour Party street stall and have a chat with us, warn us about Trotskyists, exhibit the "Morning Star" and happily pose for photos. He told us that he would always vote Labour unless a "real communist" was standing.

Definitely end of an era and an important link in our history but the modern day battle against fascism in all its forms continues. RIP Max

Searchlight and Hope Not Hate

I've been a subscriber to the monthly anti-fascist magazine "Searchlight" for many years and supporter of its campaigning arm "Hope Not Hate". So I was concerned to hear that they had some sort of a dispute and have gone their separate ways. Taking on racists and Nazi's is difficult, stressful and even dangerous, so it is obvious that there will be tensions and problems from time to time. These things happen. Maybe it is a good idea to separate the research from the campaigning? I don't know.

Yet I was really concerned to read in this month's "Searchlight" a two page article criticising "Hope Not Hate". Now I do not know the ins and outs of the issues or personalities involved. But I cannot see how in any way this article helps anyone but our real enemies. 

Can these differences be sorted out in another way?

(as usual this is a strictly personal view)

Vidal Sassoon: East End Anti-Fascist Streetfighter, Soldier and Hairdresser

Vidal Sassoon died yesterday aged 84. What an amazing life. A tough East Ender brought up during the Second World War in an orphanage, who was
apprenticed as a hairdresser in Whitechapel at age 14.

During which he become an anti-fascist street brawler who then went on to fight as an Israeli soldier before returning to London to become one of the fashionable
icons of the swinging 60s.

Early this year I heard him being interviewed on Desert Island discs. A complex man who had a very hard start in life but who did achieve material success due purely to his enormous talent and aptitude. I did not know him at all but I suspect he was one of those fascinating but ever so demanding charactors. I would recommend you listern to the interview with Kirsty.

(picture of Vidal with Mary Quant)

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus i bawb!

Happy St David’s Day!

This poster is from the “Wise and Foolish dreamers” exhibition on Wales and the Spanish Civil War which has just finished a two year tour in Denbigh, North Wales. Shame I have missed it.

Some 30 Welsh volunteers are believed to have been killed fighting the fascists in Spain.

Check out a St David's Day message from Labour Welsh Assembly member Alun Davies.

Denbigh is by co-incidence the family home town of my Mum.

“Land of my Mothers”.

Beat the BNP Day of Action - Saturday 23 January in Barking

Barking Labour Party are looking for help in the fight against the BNP in the constituency and in the borough.

Their next day of action will be on Saturday 23 January at Wood Lane Baptist Church,118 Wood Lane, Dagenham, Essex, RM9 5SL from 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm with a hot lunch provided. Please come along if you can.

The nearest tube station is Becontree and lifts will be provided from there at 10am and 1pm.

If you are not a Labour Party supporter (for some strange reason) and you do not want to campaign with the Party check out Hope Not Hate who also have a day of action in Barking & Dagenham.

Update: I meant to post this message as well: -

Dear friend,

First of all a big thank you to everyone who came out last Saturday to help us in Barking. Despite the snow nearly fifty activists turned up to speak to voters and I think that everyone who was there will agree that there were a lot of people who were genuinely pleased to see that we had made the effort.

This face to face contact with residents really does make all the difference. Make no mistake, the BNP are campaigning in Barking and we need to be more active than ever before if we are going to beat them. We are asking that everyone who is serious about seeing off the threat from the far right make a New Years Resolution to spend one day in Barking between now and the election.

Our next day of action is Saturday 23rd January, meeting at 10am and 1pm at Becontree Train Station. We will be door knocking in the morning and afternoon with a break for a (hot!) lunch at 12.

I really do hope that you can make it. Please do forward this invitation to anyone you know who is willing to help. To make Barking your New Years Resolution, text 'BARKING 2010' to 07576 323 109.

I look forward to meeting you on the 23rd.
All good wishes
Margaret Hodge

Beat the BNP Day of Action in Barking this Saturday 9th January

I received today this email today from London UNISON Labour Link (see also Labourlist)

Dear Friends,

I wanted to remind you about our Beat the BNP Day of Action this Saturday, 9th January.

We will be meeting at Becontree tube station (on the District Line) at 10am and then we will be going out door knocking and delivering leaflets from 10-12pm and, after a buffet lunch, again at 1-3pm.

For years the BNP have dreamed of a seat at Westminster, and this time they think they have a chance. But I am determined that 2010 will be the year that dream is put to an end.

Here in Barking we need your support and solidarity to do this.

So it would be fantastic if you could join us on Saturday, and please do bring along any friends or family members who are interested as well.

If you have any questions, you can contact our campaign hotline on 07576 323 109, or send an email to lizdotbradshawdot07atgooglemaildotcom.

All good wishes and Happy New Year

Margaret Hodge, MP

Bella ciao, Iran

The Second World War anti-fascist Italian Partisan song Bella ciao which has now become one of the symbols of the modern day Iranian freedom movement. Hat tip thingy to Luke’s Blog

In Unison outside Norwich Station on Union Friday

Hope not Hate. Today is “Union Friday” and up and down the country trade union activists will have been campaigning about the threat to our democracy from the BNP and other fascist parties.

I had to represent a union member in Norwich today so in the evening I was able to take part in an UNISON led anti-Nazi leafleting session outside Norwich Railway station. This was with fellow Unison activists and regional officers (Jon, Sasha and Sarah) as well as some very young but enthusiastic anti-fascists.

One thing that did surprise me is that by talking to trade union members I find that many are genuinely unaware of the true nature of the BNP. Now, this is obviously weird to us politicos but I am sure that many people don’t know and will be tempted to vote BNP unless we get the message out.