The Battle of Cable Street was a series of clashes that took place at several locations In the inner East End, notably Cable Street on Sunday 4 October 1936. It was a clash between the Metropolitan Police, sent to protect a march by members of the British Union of Fascists led by Oswald Mosley, and various anti-fascist demonstrators, including local trade unionists, communists, anarchists, British Jews, and socialist groups. The majority of both marchers and counter-protesters travelled into the area for this purpose.
It had become known that the British Union of Fascists (BUF) were organising a march to take place on Sunday 4 October 1936, sending thousands of marchers dressed in their Blackshirt uniform through the heart of the East End (an area which then had a large Jewish population).
The fascists began to gather at Tower Hill from around 2pm, and there were a number of clashes around Tower Hill, Minories, Mansell Street and the vicinity.
The anti-fascist groups built roadblocks in an attempt to prevent the march from taking place. The barricades were constructed near the junction with Christian Street in Stepney, towards the west end of this long street. The main confrontation took place around Gardiner's department store in Whitechapel. An estimated 20,000 anti-fascist demonstrators turned out, and were met by 6,000–7,000 policemen (including mounted police), who attempted to clear the road to permit the march of 2,000–3,000 fascists to proceed. The demonstrators fought back with sticks, rocks, chair legs and other improvised weapons. Rubbish, rotten vegetables and the contents of chamber pots were thrown at the police by women in houses along the street.
The BUF marchers were dispersed towards Hyde Park instead while the anti-fascists fought with police. About 150 demonstrators were arrested, although some escaped with the help of other demonstrators. Around 175 people were injured including police, women and children. In the end, Mosley ordered the Blackshirts to retreat. Police escorted them back to central London.
Following the battle The Public Order Act of 1936 outlawed the wearing of political uniforms and forced organisers of large meetings and demonstrations to obtain police permission. Many of the arrested demonstrators reported harsh treatment at the hands of the police. The event is frequently cited by modern Anti-fascist movements as "...the moment at which British fascism was decisively defeated" although the BUF actually experienced an increase in membership after the event.
Many leading British communists were present at the Battle of Cable Street. Some examples include, Bill Alexander the commander of the International Brigade's British Battalion :spanish-republican: , Charlie Hutchison one of the liberators of Belsen concentration camp and the only black British volunteer to join the International Brigades, and pioneering journalist and war correspondent Alan Winnington , were all present and partially credit the battle for shaping their political beliefs. Communist activist Gladys Keable the future children's editor of the Morning Star , and her husband and fellow communist Bill Keable who would become the Morning Star's director, were both present at the Battle of Cable Street. The Morning Star described the Jewish Communist activist Max Levitas as the "last survivor of the Battle of Cable Street".
Between 1979 and 1983, a large mural depicting the battle was painted on the side of Stepney Town Hall. It stands in Cable Street, about 150 yards (140 m) west of Shadwell overground station. A red plaque in Dock Street commemorates the incident
1936: The Battle of Cable Street
Anti-fascist protests in London 1936 | BFI National Archive :af:
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Eating beans is way easier than creating strawmen just eat beans instead
'strawman' people were doing this shit to JT, im summing up the events lol
You can be called out for being reactionary about something without being a reactionary. JT was being moderately reactionary about being asked if he would have a vegan on. You acknowledge one of his points, that being vegan is too expensive, is wrong in another comment. He also said that animals are less important than human comrades, which doesn't make much sense to bring up because going vegan doesn't kill you, and that his audience would feel "attacked" by having a vegan on to talk about animal liberation, which if you're causing harm you should maybe feel a little attacked? That's fine. If you're deciding not to talk about a topic because you might lose a few of your more reactionary fans, you're being liberal. I didn't see any vegan criticism that was out of hand.
I saw no reactionary, only a couple of ultras
a vague dismissal of a well established point with no sources at all does not a argument make. Do you really think an Iraqi has the same access to vegan alternatives as a suburban american? How about lower income people? Its more important to put food on the table, one that can fit reliably within a nonexistent budget, than adhering to some ultraleft morals. I do acknowledge that in a socialist society this argument would be silly and worthy of derision, but this is a world of neoliberal capitalism, such things aren't important. Its all about accessibility, convenience, and price. Vegan food doesn't usually fall under these, especially to those not in the imperial core. You really want to have a situation where lower class people who agree with you on everything but would get bombarded as a reactionary for daring to get a KFC bucket after their paycheck bounced? You become the reactionary, not them, in this case.
you wanna lecture the Iraqi having to get a ham sandwhich in the break room after a 12 hour shift for not taking the 3x more expensive vegan burger that are only sold in a small amount of places? Even if he did, you gonna lecture him for taking a car when the public transport was either cannibalized by neoliberalism or bombed?
You wanna take away pig hunting from the Hawaiians?
Limiting meat production and distribution is very important, but that isn't the fault of the working class who you attack for it.
He was correctly pointing out the divisiveness of the topic. This man is trying to educate, not cause the next marxist split because of food choices. He also said that he would do it if he found a non-confrontationist guest who wouldn't go ape at the moral backwardness of these carnist reactionaries. Do you realize how many third world and native peoples are hunting and eating meat? Are you going to take that away because of your superior moral standards?
yes but I will restate your dismissed point that it is very inaccessible to many of the people we are trying to help.
just pure facts, its not an edgy statement. I will always prioritize people over animal, especially barnyard animals. Although I fully support that their liberation must be transitioned to.
you aren't a reactionary for eating meat, you're being an ultra. You are being out of touch to make such a statement.
Almost none of that is responding to anything I actually said or meant, and I don't think I was vague or unclear whatsoever.
I respect you as a comrade Catradora but you're being reactionary and putting a bunch of words in my mouth that I don't feel like responding to. I'm not going to lose sleep over this, so I'm disengaging.
me too, frankly I don't feel great arguing this much about it. Have a nice day.