Thousands join Cable Street march to mark 90 years since East End anti-fascist protest

Thousands of people marched through east London on Sunday to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, with speakers warning of “the threat posed by the far right”.

Demonstrators gathered outside Tower Hamlets Town Hall before marching to St George's Gardens in Cable Street, commemorating the events of October 4, 1936, when anti-fascist protesters blocked Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists from marching through the East End.

Mosley’s march was seen as an attack against the area's large Jewish population, prompting an alliance of local residents, trade unions and anti-fascist groups to rise up against it.

Many of Sunday's protesters carried banners bearing the slogan "They shall not pass", a reference to the resistance mounted 90 years ago.

One large banner at the front of the march read: "No to antisemitism, Islamophobia, all racism. 1936 they did not pass. 2026 they will not pass."

Other placards targeted contemporary political figures and movements, with signs reading "Stop Islamophobia, Stop the far right" and "Stop Trump, Stop Farage".

Trade unions including Unite took part in the demonstration, alongside a range of anti-racism and pro-Palestinian campaign groups.

Following the march, speakers addressed crowds gathered in Cable Street.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn used his speech to criticise what he described as anti-migrant rhetoric in British politics.

The independent MP for Islington North said: "Anti-racism means we oppose every form of racism, whatever it is, wherever it raises its head.

"The biggest proponents of, now, Islamophobia are the far right across Europe."

Lutfur Rahman, mayor of Tower Hamlets, said the anniversary was an opportunity to remember those who opposed fascism in the 1930s.

He told the crowd: "Our forefathers said, 'No, you're not coming here. You shall not pass'.

"And we say that again now: the fascists, the far right, will never run riot in Tower Hamlets."

During the demonstration, a small confrontation briefly broke out between marchers and two counter-protesters carrying flags linked to the Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Some participants in the march also chanted slogans relating to Zionism and the conflict in the Middle East.

The anniversary comes amid renewed debate over extremism, racism and community relations across Britain, with organisers framing Sunday's event as both a commemoration of a defining moment in east London's history and a statement against the growth of far-right politics today.