Cable Street
The Battle of Cable St, 1936 - Joe Jacobs
Joe Jacobs was in 1936 a local Communist Party activist in London's East End. This is his account of his involvement in the famous defence of the East End against an attempted march by Mosley's fascists.
Joe describes events leading up to the march, including the changes in the CP leadership's tactics as they finally realised their calls for a peaceful demonstration elsewhere would be ignored. His account corrects false impressions later created by official Communist versions of the events.
Day the East End said 'No pasaran' to Blackshirts
Next Wednesday marks the 70th anniversary of the day that the workers of the East End of London united in defiance of Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists and refused to let them march through their streets.
From The Guardian (Saturday September 30, 2006) by Audrey Gillan.
They built barricades from paving stones, timber and overturned lorries. Women threw the contents of chamber pots on to the heads of policemen and children hurled marbles under their horses and burst bags of pepper in front of their noses.
1936: Fascists and Police Routed - the Battle of Cable Street
Cable Street - October 4th 1936 - an eye witness account by Reg Weston, Higham resident and life-time NUJ member.
'I was at the Battle of Cable Street. In my early twenties, I was then secretary of the recently formed Southgate branch of the Communist Party in North London.
