On Sunday 4 October, locals and supporters gathered in Tower Hamlets to march to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street.
The historic confrontation took place on 4 October 1936, when residents of London’s East End, including members of its large Jewish community, mobilised to prevent Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists from marching through the area.
Ninety years later, many of those gathering hoped to invoke that history of East End resistance, both by commemorating the past and drawing attention to present-day causes.
The march brought together a broad spectrum of the left, from trade unions and advocacy groups to Palestinian solidarity campaigners and anti-Zionist Jewish groups, alongside figures including Jeremy Corbyn and Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman.
Watch the event here:
But beyond politics, a palpable sense of local pride emerged. Neighbours greeted one another along the route, passers-by cheered from the pavement, and occasionally onlookers stepped off the street to join the march.
Featured images: Carson Beale
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