Abstrakt
The Battle of Cable Street, which took place on 4th October 1936 in the East End of London is one of the most symbolic in British working class history. It was a clash between Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists, Metropolitan Police and the large group of anti-fascists (mostly Jewish and Irish immigrants).
Today it is celebrated by different left-wing groups as a great victory over fascism. The Battle of Cable Street has become mythologised as an iconic example of non-sectarian solidarity.
The conference paper deals with the questions of the collective memory of the Battle of Cable Street. It is trying to answer the question whether the memory of the events in the Cable Street today is the picture of the real historical events or if it is a construction of the past as an ideal present.
Conference paper also deals with different memory/views/perception of the Battle of Cable Street from the different participating sides (Fascists, Police, Anti-Fascists).