Battle of Cable Street — Anti-fascist confrontation in the East End of London in 1936
A mass anti-fascist mobilisation in London that blocked a planned BUF march and became a symbol of popular resistance to fascism in Britain.
Key Facts
- Date
- 4 October 1936
- Location
- Cable Street, East End of London
- Fascist organisation
- British Union of Fascists (BUF)
- BUF leader
- Oswald Mosley
- Anti-fascist organisers
- ILP, CPGB, Jewish Peoples Council
- Commemorative mural
- St George's Town Hall, Cable Street
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The British Union of Fascists, led by Oswald Mosley, planned a march through the predominantly Jewish East End of London in 1936. Anti-fascist groups including the Independent Labour Party, the Communist Party of Great Britain, and the Jewish Peoples Council organised opposition to the march, fearing it would constitute an act of intimidation against local communities.
On 4 October 1936, Metropolitan Police escorting the BUF march were confronted by large anti-fascist crowds at several locations in the East End, most notably Cable Street. Demonstrators erected barricades and clashed with police, ultimately preventing the fascist march from proceeding through the area.
The anti-fascist demonstrators successfully blocked the BUF march, handing Mosley a high-profile public defeat. The event entered British collective memory as a moment of community resistance to fascism. A large commemorative mural was later painted on the side of St George's Town Hall on Cable Street, approximately 350 metres east of the main barricade site.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Oswald Mosley.
Side B
1 belligerent