ON October 6 of this year, Nick Tenconi, the leader of the UK Independence Party (Ukip), announced his plans to hold a “crusade” in Whitechapel against what he refers to as “Islamist invaders.”

The now-banned assembly was scheduled for October 25, but could still attract a mass of Ukip supporters to east London in an effort to “take back Whitechapel.”

In response to this proposed antagonisation and intimidation of Muslim and ethnic minority Whitechapel residents, Stand Up to Racism has planned a counter-demo on the same day. This event is supported by the Socialist Workers Party, Unite and Sisters Uncut, as well as many Muslim associations and others.

In a series of videos posted on social media before the event was banned by the Met Police, former personal trainer Tenconi called for “patriots” to join what he is calling a “holy war.” He encouraged attendees to bring Christian crosses and British flags and also called on “moderate, peaceful” Muslims to stand with Ukip in Whitechapel.

Tenconi also stated in a video uploaded to Instagram on October 20 that “the unholy alliance of Islamists and communists isn’t made up of soldiers and fighters. They are made up of cowards and losers. They have absolutely nothing to threaten us with. We don’t fear them, and we will be showing this to them on Saturday, the 25th of October.”

But it seems the Met Police have other ideas. Stating just a day later that Public Order Act conditions have now been imposed, meaning Ukip cannot hold their protest in Whitechapel or anywhere else in the borough of Tower Hamlets.

Commander Nick John added: “Tower Hamlets has the largest percentage of Muslim residents anywhere in Britain, and the prospect of this protest taking place in the heart of the borough has been the cause of significant concern locally.

“It is our assessment that there is a realistic prospect of serious disorder if it was to go ahead in the proposed location. This is in addition to the disruption that two large protests taking place on a key arterial route through east London would cause.”

“Ukip are free to organise their protest in an alternative location, but they will not be holding it in Tower Hamlets.

“Anyone who tries to assemble, in breach of the conditions, or who encourages others to do so, will face arrest. We will still have a sizeable police presence in the area on Saturday to keep the public safe and to intervene to enforce the conditions and deal with any other incidents.”

This news has been welcomed by organisers and supporters of the counterdemo, which is still scheduled to go ahead.

Lutfur Rahman, the current mayor of Tower Hamlets, announced the news on the social media platform X: “We will still hold our peaceful march in Whitechapel on Saturday to celebrate our diversity and unity. From the Battle of Cable Street to today, the far right has never succeeded in dividing our community, and they never will.”

The Battle of Cable Street took place on October 4 1936, and saw over 100,000 communists, Jews, and residents of Whitechapel defend their streets from the fascist demonstrators led by Oswald Mosley.

The march was organised by the British Union of Fascists to celebrate their fourth anniversary. But instead of taking place in their home base of Westminster, it was held in east London, which had the largest population of Jewish migrants in London at the time.

This prompted anti-fascist activists to turn up to Whitechapel in their hundreds of thousands to counter Mosley’s Blackshirts. During the infamous battle, Cable Street was barricaded by residents and anti-fascists, with the police protecting Mosley and his Blackshirts pelted with rotten food, milk bottles and even chamber pots.

The Battle of Cable Street was seen as a resounding success and a turning point for the anti-fascist movement. But the history of east Londoners standing up and fighting back against anti-migrant sentiment didn’t stop there.

In the late 1970s, the National Front (NF) also tried to march in Whitechapel along Brick Lane, which by then had a growing and thriving south Asian population. But the Anti-Nazi League united black, Asian, and white people to outnumber the NF on the streets, forcing them back and once again stopping the racists from marching on Whitechapel.

Unfortunately, Whitechapel was under threat again in 2013 when the English Defence League, then led by Tommy Robinson, attempted to march on the East London Mosque. This time, the racists were pushed back by Unite Against Fascism, a merger between the Anti-Nazi League and the National Assembly Against Racism.

Though the proposed “crusade” on Whitechapel has now been banned by the Met Police, it is unclear whether Ukip leaders and supporters will be bold enough to assemble anyway, as Robinson did in 2013 when his march was also prohibited by police. What is clear, however, with plans for a unity demo still going ahead, is that even if they do, they shall not pass.

This Saturday October 25: Ukip have been told they can’t go to Tower Hamlets – but they’re now marching in central London. Join the counterdemo at 11:30pm, Hyde Park Corner. The unity demo is also going ahead in east London: assemble outside Whitechapel Station at 12pm.