The Battle of Wood Green 48 years on: fighting fascism is not just history
Wednesday 23rd April marks 48 years to the day since the Battle of Wood Green. On that sunny(in 1977) Saturday afternoon in North London, the fascist National Front assembled over a 1,000 supporters with the aim of marching down one of the busiest shopping streets in the area, Wood Green High Rd, packed with shoppers. Their aim was to stir hatred and create division and most of all to underline that they controlled the streets.
A counter demonstration was organised. A young Haringey Councillor Jeremy Corbyn was the spokesperson and he proved adept at marshalling Councillors from across the political spectrum who had a peaceful protest and also those who wanted to stop the fascist march, very much in the tradition of those who had opposed Mosely in the 1930s and early 1960s.
When the Front march turned out of Duckett’s Common, Turnpike Lane and into Wood Green High Rd, anti-fascists confronted it and partly broke it. Some fascists straggled on to a rally in Arnos School in neighbouring Enfield. The anti-fascist attack was organised but in reality what broke the march were ordinary North London shoppers surging forwards and joining in
The National Front in London in 1977 were a serious political force. They came 4th with 119,000 votes in the May 5th Election for the old Greater London Council. They were also a street fighting force, regularly attacking socialists campaigning on high streets and breaking up violently left-wing and trade union meetings.
After 23rd April they never attempted to march again in North London.
I’ve told and written about this event many times both as an active participant in it and as an historian. At 48 years distance it is now history and people like myself can sound rather like the Chartists who survived to be active in the socialist movement in the 1880s, looked on as interesting if tiresome relics of a time now passed.
Except the time has not passed. Fascism- genuine fascist ideas and organisation beyond just right-wing and authoritarian politics, is growing again in numbers of countries including Britain. It still needs opposing as it did on the Saturday afternoon 48 years ago
The Battle of Wood Green is history, but not just history..
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