United to Blackshirts
vating Labour to form a popular front. They wanted instead to settle for a demonstration in support of the Spanish republic in Trafalgar Square. Only at the last minute did they agree to join the local organisers in the East End.
Despite the euphoria in the aftermath, the BUF’s planned four meetings did take place. Mosely continued to make speeches to large crowds, B U F member s h i p increased dramatically while its local election results hovered at around 20 per cent in 1937.
Butthesymbolism of theBUF’sdefeathas proved to be more enduring down the Mosley lieutenant William Joyce aka Lord Haw Haw decades than its political effect in 1936. Sunday October 4, 1936, the day of the Battle of Cable Street, was also the fast of Gedaliah. The killing of Nebuchadnezzar’s representative, Gedaliah ben Ahiham, by Yishmael ben Netanyiah had always been frowned upon by religious tradition. It demonstrated disloyalty to the ruling power. It created hostility towards Jews. It publicly displayed Jewish disunity. The Jews of the East End on that October day rebelled against this mindset. It remains a profound example of how to act in dark times. Colin Shindler is an emeritus professor at SOAS, University of London