IN OCTOBER 2016 I was the convener for Cable Street 80. Through two rallies and a spirited march, we celebrated the mass anti-fascist mobilisation of 1936 that stopped thousands of Oswald Mosley’s uniformed and jackbooted fascists invading the Jewish areas of London’s East End. Commemorations have taken place every 10 years, more recently every five.
When we drew up our desired speakers list for Cable Street 80, one of the first names we pencilled in was Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran anti-racist, anti-fascist activist who had won the Labour leadership a year earlier with a huge mandate from the membership.
He made clear that he intended to continue this area of activism on the very day he was elected. Minutes after his acceptance speech, he headed for Hyde Park to address a national rally in support of refugees.
