Jay Carax will be in Manchester for the next two months but he’s hoping to post irregularly on Dublin and Irish related topics.
I don’t need to write much about the historical significance of The Battle of Cable Street or the special place it has in the hearts in many in the Jewish community and socialist, anti-fascist movement in England. This year is the 75th anniversary and there are already many plans to mark the occassion.
It is a documented fact that thousands of Irish, mainly dockers, from Wapping and other areas, helped to defend the East End and stop the British Union of Fascists (BUF) from marching through. One of my favourite ever quotes comes from William J. Fishman (b. 1921) who wrote that “I was moved to tears to see bearded Jews and Irish Catholic dockers standing up to stop Mosley. I shall never forget that as long as I live, how working-class people could get together to oppose the evil of racism.”
Here, for (the first time ever online?) are original leaflets printed in the run up of October 4 calling on people to join the anti-fascist march. (Note: I see the second one is online but I don’t think the other two are)
Sound and vision – The Men They Couldn’t Hang:
Interesting to see evidence of an anti-Fascist movement in Dublin in this leaflet from 13 January 1935, over a year before the march in London: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yournlireland/5721702995/in/set-72157626725073498
Very interesting. Thanks for that.