MORE than 300 activists attended a celebration rally today to recognise and honour Leeds’ biggest mobilisation of anti-fascists in the 1930s.

On September 27 1936, 30,000 people gathered on Holbeck Moor in south Leeds to confront Sir Oswald Mosley and 1,000 “blackshirts” from the British Union of Fascists, and the fascists were forced out of Leeds.

The confrontation took place a week before the famed Battle of Cable Street in east London.

This year Leeds Stand Up to Racism launched an appeal for the creation of a memorial recognising the historic event and a blue plaque was unveiled today.

Addressing the rally, Leeds East MP Richard Burgon said that in 1936 buildings in the Leeds Jewish community were daubed with swastikas by fascists the night before Mosley’s rally.

“Today we have fascists attacking hotels housing asylum-seekers,” he said. “On Holbeck Moor, 30,000 people drowned Mosley out. We have to do the same thing today.”

Among those taking part were descendants of anti-fascists and trade union activists who took part in the Battle of Holbeck Moor.