anti-fascist march through east London

 
Pic: Demonstrators gather in Altab Ali Park,East London

Staff reporter(wp/es):
Hundreds of people have marched through east London to mark the 80th anniversary of a landmark street fight against fascism.
Trade unionists joined the Jewish and Muslim communities today to remember the Battle of Cable Street, in which tens of thousands of protesters clashed with police.
The march was also campaigning against the rising number of racist and anti-Semitic offences in the city.
Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan were set to join the march, which began in Altab Ali Park at midday and ended in St George’s Gardens, Cable Street.

Before they set off, Rushanara Ali, the Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow which Cable Street is in, said they should remember: "The Jewish community, the trade union movement, those who stood up against intolerance and fascism here in east London, so that we could live safely, and in safety and harmony."
A veteran from the Battle of Cable Street, Max Levitas, addressed crowds in St George's Gardens, alongside representatives from the Jewish Labour Movement and other left-wing groups.
The 1936 battle saw anti-fascist protestors clash with police as they campaigned against a march by members of the British Union of Fascists, led by Oswald Mosley.
The politician had planned to send thousands of uniformed marchers through the East End, which has a large Jewish population at the time. Some 20,000 campaigners built roadblocks to stop them but were met by around 6,000 police officers who attempted to clear the way for the march.

The mayor of London is due to speak on the subject of anti-Semitism and racism in general at a Jewish Community event in Shoreditch Town Hall.
Mr Khan is expected to say at the event: "London today is more diverse than ever and, on the whole, is a shining example of how people from different backgrounds can live side-by-side. I am proud that in London, we don't simply tolerate each other, but respect and celebrate our backgrounds and differences.
"When we see things that are divisive, go against our British values and are just fundamentally wrong, we must call them out. Anyone who threatens our values - whether fascists, extremists or political forces seeking to divide our society today - you will fail.

"By working together, playing together, studying together, having a shared set of common values and laws that are clear and progressive, our communities can unite and stand together against anyone who seeks to divide us."
The number of hate crimes reported in the capital has risen to 50 a day since the EU referendum in June.
There were 4,986 racially motivated offences in London between June 24 and September 30, compared with 3,620 in the 99 days before the Brexit vote, according to figures from the mayor of London's office.