Anti-Racist, Anti-Fascism

Britain's first major, organised anti-fascist resistance was the Battle of Cable Street on October 4, 1936, where roughly 200,000–300,000 Londoners blocked Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists from marching through the East End.

The East End has a long history of fighting fascism. In this session we looked at the protests that took place in the wake of the racist murder of Altab Ali in 1978, where 7,000 people walked behind his coffin to 10 Downing Street to demand protection, Rock Against Racism in Victoria Park, and the recent Unity Demo that took place outside Whitechapel Station in 2025.

In class reading: Oh Wicked Man by Misty in Roots, What Kind of Times Are These by Adrienne Rich

A Common Thread

by Mira Mookerjee

There’s a thread tying this town together,
Running through the city centre 
And back to Brick Lane,
A thread that rolls round high windows, 
And nestles itself inside Spitalfields silk, 
It runs up church walls,
And unravels in the rag trade,
Flickering and flexing, 
As it winds its way around a menorah, 
And unpicks street signs.
It ties itself round bags of baked goods,
And rumbles from within factories walls,
Catching inside churning sewing machines,
And plaits into Quaran bookmarks.
It weaves through restaurant tablecloths, 
Coloured by yellow, pink and purple dye,
That is strung into saris sold on Bethnal Green Road, 
As it arches up past vintage stalls,
Stitching leather to denim, silk to gingham,
A line that silently weaves down roads,
Threading time together, 
Tracing between here 
    and now
        and then.

WORDS FOR HERDS;

by Angela Baker

One Moment, One decision,
Before you know it, Care-free incision?
Going forwards,`Bang-A-Drum!`, Flag waving, could be fun!
Rights and Riots, on every corner.
Now-a-days, we are so muddled Up,
Violence wades in?..., we`re completely fucked!
When did `British Empire` become so bland?
These days we dismiss it , out-of-hand`,
Sticks and Stones will break my bones, Sticks and Staves???
No reason, no rhyme, we are simply running out of time.

CONDENSE, REDUCE, RECYCLE,
Churning words for rinse-cycle.
It`s all learnt behaviour, It`s All Tit For Tat,
Turn the next corner, they`re hating us Back.

Choose your moment, choice Herds prime
moving forwards on the frontline!
Out of the mouths of Babes, at every street corner.
Put the` world-to-rights`, for the greater human race!
Take Racism case by case,…` Not about losing face,
`Know the pattern, this goes back to learning latin!
Here we go again, Divide and Rule,
Heady Fascism, You`re a TOOL!
Gotta start somewhere, find words that blame!
It all cycles back, to US and THEM;

CONDENSE, REDUCE, RECYCLE,
Churning words for rinse-cycle.
It`s all learnt behaviour, It`s All Tit For Tat,
Turn the next corner, they`re hating us Back.

The basis for racist

by Jane Gregory

On what basis
Do you identify a racist
Their core beliefs bring nothing but grief

These thoughts were conceived from forefathers aggrieved
From misconceptions, misconceived
If you look deep, they've been deceived

No one's born racist
There's just no basis
To hate another man just because someone told you, you can

Do your own homework
Before you go berserk on your fellow being
Just because there breathing

Were all different races
With different colour faces
But look within, past the skin

Were all fighting the fight
Trying to make a living
Remember that when you look at us spitting

At the end of the day choose wisely what you say
You could be one breath away
From your own final judgement your very last day