Poplar and Limehouse MP Apsana Begum has paid tribute to East London’s anti-fascist history ahead of the upcoming 90th anniversary of the historic Battle of Cable Street.
In a video message recorded in front of the iconic Cable Street mural, Begum reflected on how the anti-fascist resistance of 1936 continues to define community identity across the East End.
“The East End of London continues to be shaped by the collective memory of the events of 90 years ago, when communities united against fascists marching through our streets, at the Battle of Cable Street.”
Legacy of resistance
On 4 October 1936, an estimated 100,000 local residents—including Jewish working-class families, Irish dockers, trade unionists, and socialist groups—united to blockade Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists.
Chanting the slogan “They Shall Not Pass,” the crowd successfully barred Mosley’s Blackshirts from marching through the East End, forcing police to direct the march away in a landmark victory against British fascism.
Begum highlighted how this historic unity mirrors later anti-racist movements in the East End, including the resistance led by the British-Bangladeshi community against the far right during the 1970s and 1980s.
90th anniversary commemorations
Begum’s comments come as trade unions, community organisations, and anti-racist coalitions prepare a series of events to mark the 90th milestone.
Led by the Cable Street 90 organising committee alongside Unite the Union, commemorations will culminate in a major march and rally in East London on Sunday 4 October 2026.
Organisers have stressed that remembering Cable Street serves not only as an act of historic remembrance, but as a living lesson in community solidarity against prejudice and division.
