Pro-Palestine protestors ‘hijacked’ the Battle of Cable Street’s 90th anniversary event on Sunday, chanting: “Zionist scum" and “Zionists are not welcome here”.
The day was organised to commemorate October 4, 1936, when Jews and other groups, including communists, trade unionists and Irish dockers, joined forces to successfully block Oswald Mosely’s Blackshirts from marching through the heavily Jewish-populated East End.
The union Unite organised a march but due to the amount of anti-Israel groups who planned to attend, the children and grandchildren of those who were there at the Battle of Cable Street felt forced to hold a separate march.
One of the leaders of this group, which marched under the banner ‘Cable Street Jews’, told the JC: “We held a separate march because we felt unsafe to join them and that's why we marched ahead of them.”
The main march, which began at Tower Hamlets town hall at 1pm, saw keffiyeh-clad crowds waving Palestinian flags and chanting: “Free free Palestine,” and: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Videos circulating online show protesters shouting: “Zionists are not welcome here,” and: “Zionists are Fascists,”as well as “Zionist scum”.
Footage also shows altercations breaking out at the main protest.
One involved Jewish journalist Nicole Lampert, who was covering the march, and who was “surrounded” by pro-Palestine protesters, and wrote on X afterwards: “’Zionist scum not welcome here’, at an ‘anti racist’ demo. The irony. The event was meant to be about a time when the East End came out to help the Jews defeat Fascists. Instead it turned into a day when they attacked Jews… a baying mob surrounded me with their ‘no Pasaran’ [they shall not pass] banner.
“Coming home last night I felt shaky and just so sad. I’ve never seen hate like it.”
A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said: “Instead of commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, those marching today hijacked it.
“In 1936 the British Union of Fascists sought to drive Jews from the streets, and in 2026 at the Unite the Union march attendees shouted ‘Zionist scum off our streets’.
“There were other similarities too: there was no audible intervention from the Government, and the police facilitated the march of these vile bigots rather than taking action.
“Ninety years ago, brave Londoners recognised anti-Jewish racism and stood with their Jewish neighbours against it. Ninety years ago, they did not pass. Today, despite the efforts of a valiant few, they did.”
A man with a keffiyeh wrapped round his face at the Cable Street event (Image: X/ Campaign Against Antisemitsm)[Missing Credit]
London, 1936: “Jews off our streets.”
— Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) October 4, 2026
London, 2026: “Zionists off our streets.”
90 years ago at the Battle of Cable Street, fascists rallied against Jews.
Today, at the commemoration of that victory over fascism – a victory Jews were central to – extremists rallied against… pic.twitter.com/oaQRi8NRRl
Police confirmed that one person was arrested for disorder on the day. Thousands attended the two marches.
The main Unite march went from Tower Hamlets town hall to Cable Street.
The other march, which included the children and grandchildren of those who were at the battle, began at Aldgate East, and headed towards the Cable Street mural.
One attendee at this march was 93-year-old Michael Bennett who was a young child at Cable Street and who said that “the seeds of antisemitism have come out”.
Another marcher was 63-year-old David Torz-Brown, from Hammersmith, who was remembering his father, Albert Brown Zukankas. He told the JC: “He fought the fascists in the Cable Street riots and he would be absolutely horrified to know that at today’s event, there is a division, and we had to do our own thing.”
“He wouldn’t be happy about that at all.”
“Back at Cable Street, there was no division, my dad was there with his friends and they were not Jewish, but they were here at that time to help.”
David Torz-Brown, from Hammersmith, who was remembering his father at Cable Street[Missing Credit]
Also at the march was Malka Levy, from North West London, who was there in honour of her grandfather. “He was 28 years old and was there with his brothers,” she began.
“They lived in the area and used to have to walk round the area with empty milk bottles in their hands in case they were attacked by the fascists.”
Levy spoke about how at Cable Street, the Irish dockers helped the Jews in the fight against Oswald Mosely’s Blackshirts, proudly proclaiming together: “They shall not pass.”
She continued: “Today we are marching against the far left who seem to have taken a twisted narrative, and we are out here as Jews fighting to remember those who were at the battle.
Proud Jews and allies marched to remember the Battle of Cable Street on Sunday[Missing Credit]
“We always remember our heroes, and we are against antisemitism, as that seems to be growing and going back to the 1930s.”
The only difference today, Levy said, is that antisemitism is coming from the far left.
Lisa Rose, an actor and teacher from Highgate was at the march to remember her great aunt. She described the feeling of picking up the placard with her face on it as “emotional”.
Rose spoke about the lessons learnt from Cable Street, namely the importance of non-Jews standing in solidarity. “People came from other communities, no matter their background - they came to be supportive and protective, as we would have done for a problem with any of their communities.”
Sharon Rose (left) and Lisa Rose (right) at the Cable Street event remembering their greant aunt[Missing Credit]
“Community looking out for each other and being kind and non-aggressive, non-violent... that was fantastic.”
One attendee who stands as testament to that is Martin Anthony, a 40-year-old waiter originally from New Zealand but who now lives in London. Anthony is Christian and told the JC: "I am here today doing the same thing that friends of the Jews did back then.”
“Everybody got together to fight the clear enemy, the Fascists.”
Turning his attention to the other march, Anthony said: “There will be people at that march making mad statements. They are whitewashing history.”
Helen and Lisa Rose' ancestors, some of whom were at the Battle of Cable Street[Missing Credit]
Bennett was just a three-year-old when at the Battle of Cable Street.
“I sat on my father’s shoulders as a little boy,” he recounted. “I just knew there was a big crowd, and if you ask me, do I have detailed memories? No, I don’t. I learnt afterwards what it was all about, and I’m very grateful for that.
“Jewish people and many non-Jewish people, dockers, miners, came to support and help the Jews to stop Oswald Mosley making a provocative march through the Jewish East End.
“Mosely’s march was just done as a provocation, and the police were doing their best to help him get through, because there was no ban on the march.
“Sadly, in those days, at the higher echelons of government there was antisemitism.”
Michael Bennet, 93, who was a child at the Battle of Cable Street[Missing Credit]
Bennett continued: “Today it’s a different world, but anybody now who proudly says, ‘I am Jewish, I believe in Israel’ [are forced to have a separate march].
“Unfortunately, the seeds of antisemitism are coming out.
“It never goes away, but sometimes goes to sleep and stays dormant.”
The children and grandchildren of those at Cable Street gathered next to the mural on Cable Street[Missing Credit]
Despite holding a separate march, hundreds of proud Jews, allies and descendants held their event, and defiantly chanted: “90 years – we're still here.”
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