The Battle of Wood Green 44 years on. Why it matters?
It was 44 years ago today ( in fact a Saturday afternoon then) when over a thousand supporters of the fascist National Front, union jacks waving, gathered on Ducketts Common in North London.
Their plan was to march down Wood Green High Rd in one of the most diverse areas of the country. Their aim was to stir up racism and division.
The local community came together to oppose it. It took hard work but a united opposition gathered on the day from all local Councillors, trade unions, political organisations and of course the wider population of the area.
The strategy was to allow those who wished to peacefully protest to do so, while those who felt the march should be stopped, as fascist marches in the 1930s had been, also came up with a plan.
Combining the two ensured maximum support for the protest against the fascists and maximum impact too.
As the National Front march entered Wood Green High Rd early on that sunny April afternoon anti-fascists and anti-racists and many local shoppers pushed into the march and broke it. Some fascists made it to a rally in Arnos Grove. Many ran away.
The NF never again tried to march in the area.
Two generations on it still matters. The NF hardly exists but unfortunately fascists do and they still need to be opposed.
It was great to see today murals marking the Battle of Wood Green unveiled on Ducketts Common. Painted by students from the Haringey Learning Partnership & facilitated by Haringey Council
I was there on that day 44 years ago. Would I do it again? Yes. I’m 64 now though and while I remain an active anti-racist and socialist not everyone who was there on that Saturday in 1977 is still with us. New generations are coming on board to keep the fight against racism and division going, We need to be successful. The alternative we know all too well, summarised by the words Never Again.
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