90th anniversary of Battle of Cable Street marked with pledge to stop the far right

Ansar Ahmed Ullah:

 

Thousands of people marched through the East End of London on Sunday to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, with demonstrators pledging to “stop the far right”. The demonstration, held on 4 October 2026, saw marchers travel from Tower Hamlets Town Hall in Whitechapel to St George’s Gardens in Cable Street to commemorate the historic clashes of 1936.

The Battle of Cable Street saw demonstrators block Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) from marching through the East End. The BUF’s decision to march through an area that was then home to a large Jewish population was regarded as a deliberate provocation, prompting anti-fascist organisations to mobilise thousands of people to prevent the march.

The march was led by the Cable Street 90 banner, alongside the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, leading political figures and family members of people who took part in the Battle of Cable Street. Behind the Cable Street 90 banner was the Great Yiddish Parade, a klezmer marching band, followed by the Jewish Bloc, the Bengali Bloc, the Irish Bloc and the International Bloc. The Bengali Bloc included the Altab Ali Foundation, Swadhinata Trust, Altab Ali Trust, Bangladesh Workers Council and Nijer Manush, among many others. The march also included Tower Hamlets local community organisations, the International Brigades Memorial Trust, a Red Bloc, anti-fascist and anti-racist organisations and trade unions.

Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman said, “Migration, immigrants, the indigenous communities together have made Tower Hamlets what it is: a great borough”. He added, “The 1930s and the early 1940s was a taint of dreadful, dreadful world history. Mosley ran riot across the country and tried to run riot in Tower Hamlets. “Our forefathers said, ‘No, you’re not coming here. You shall not pass’. And they couldn’t pass. “And we say that again now: the fascists, the far right, will never run riot in Tower Hamlets.”

Speaking at the demonstration following the march, former Labour leader and Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn criticised what he described as “racist language used today by Farage and Reform and all the others who are now blaming refugees and migrants”. Mr Corbyn said: “Anti-racism means we oppose every form of racism, whatever it is, wherever it raises its head, because it destroys the unity that we need in order to improve the living standards of the poorest people within our society.”

The 90th anniversary commemoration opened with an assembly at Tower Hamlets Town Hall, featuring opening speeches. The assembly was chaired by Gawain Little (GFTU) and Samira Ali (SUTR). Speakers included Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman, Steve Wright, Michael Rosen, Megan Dobney and Taj Ali.

Marchers then departed Tower Hamlets Town Hall and headed towards St George’s Gardens in Cable Street, where the anniversary commemoration concluded with a rally featuring speeches, poetry and music. At the final rally in St George’s Gardens, speeches were given by the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, family members of Cable Street participants, and representatives from trade unions, political and community organisations. Trade union organisations represented included RMT, UNISON, Unite, PCS, NEU, GFTU, TUC, FBU and Tower Hamlets Trades Council. The rally was jointly chaired by David Rosenberg of the Jewish Socialist Group, Lorraine Douglas of the CPB and Julie Begum of Swadhinata Trust. Speakers included family members of Cable Street participants: Ruth Levitas, Michael Rosen, Tony Booth, June Legg and Michele Carter.

International speakers also attended from Bogotá, France, Spain, Italy and Ireland. Other speakers included Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North; Apsana Begum, MP for Poplar and Limehouse; Alex Gordon of the CPB; Jalal Rajonuddin Jalal of the Altab Ali Foundation; Julia Bard of the Jewish Socialists’ Group; Weyman Bennett of Stand Up To Racism; and Kevin Courtney of the Together Alliance, among many others.

 

The event featured performances by the Great Yiddish Parade, RMT Fishburn Colliery Band, Young ’Uns, Michael Rosen and Chip Hamer. The 90th anniversary commemoration brought together Jewish, Bengali, Irish and other community organisations, trade unions, political organisations and anti-racist campaigners to remember the events of 1936 and renew the call for opposition to racism and the far right.