Sadiq Khan among those paying tribute to Cable Street veterans

London Mayor Sadiq Khan was among those to pay tribute to Cable Street veterans who “courageously stood up to Mosley’s fascists” 83 years ago today.

October 4, 1936 entered the annals of history when thousands of anti-fascists came out to block Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirt march in London’s East End.

“Today we commemorate the Battle of Cable Street – which saw hope triumph over hate when Jewish Londoners and others courageously stood up to Mosley’s fascists,” the Mayor wrote on Twitter on Friday.

“As Mayor of London, I’ll continue to stand up to antisemitism, racism and fascism,” he added.

Khan’s message, retweeted by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, also featured a news-reel detailing the day’s events shared by the anti-racism charity Hope Not Hate.

“On this day in 1936, Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists were blocked from marching through the streets of East London by the Jewish community and its allies,” the charity wrote.

“Today we commemorate The Battle of Cable Street and remember all those who stood in the way of fascism.”

Joining a chorus of tributes, the Jewish Labour Movement tweeted a link to a speech given by its vice chair Sarah Sackman on the 80th anniversary of the anti-fascist movement.

“The thousands of ordinary Jews, Irish dockers, Labourites, Socialists, Communists who gathered here – our parents, grandparents and great grandparents –working across racial and political lines stood together to say: no to fascism,” Sackman said at the time.

“Under the banner of ‘They Shall Not Pass’ ‘No Pasaran’ they stood together to prevent the march and won the day.”