89th Anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street

It is a moment that belongs to all of us, because it reminds us that when the forces of hatred, division and bigotry threaten to divide our communities, it is only through solidarity, collective resolve, and organised resistance that they can be repelled.

That truth feels especially urgent this week. Just days ago, worshippers at a synagogue in Manchester were attacked in a horrifying act of antisemitic violence that has shocked and sickened us all. Our thoughts are with the affected families and communities. But more than that, we must respond not only with condemnation, but with action. We must resist attempts to divide communities. This was not an isolated incident but part of a wider pattern of hate that is growing more brazen and more dangerous.

In 1936, Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists planned a march through East London, targeted at communities already under pressure and vulnerability. What followed was not just a protest but a mobilisation of unions, neighbours, workers, communities, Jewish families, Irish dockers and many others. Together they formed barricades, resisted police attempts to clear the path, and physically blocked the fascist advance.That day was a turning point, not because it ended fascism in Britain, but because it proved that united, people can force back hatred when they stand together.

Eighty‑nine years later, the conditions are different, but the dangers are recognisable. We see new forms of extremism and hate: Today’s far-right aren’t just organising on the streets but on Facebook and WhatsApp too. With the help of US billionaires and powerful external interference, they’re harnessing social media to spread hate and undermine our democracy and divide the working class. Whether it’s through scapegoating migrants, stoking culture wars, or setting worker against worker, the goal is the same to weaken collective power and distract from inequality and exploitation. That’s why our job in the trade union movement is not just to fight back against hate, but to unify working people across regardless of race, faith, gender, identity and background.

As I reflect on Cable Street, four lessons stand out and they must guide our movement today:

Organised resistance matters.

In 1936, the strength of Cable Street was in its organisation. In the capacity of communities and workers to mobilise, to build barricades, to protect each other. Today, trade unions remain one of the few institutions with reach across workplaces, neighbourhoods and sectors. We must harness that strength to challenge hate where it arises in our workplaces, in communities, in public life, in online spaces.

Solidarity across difference is essential.

Cable Street was not a narrow victory for one community, but the triumph of a diverse coalition. Jews, Irish, trade unionists, socialists, women, working-class families. All united. That lesson remains vital: antisemitism cannot be tackled alone, racism cannot be tackled in isolation, xenophobia cannot be left to one community. Our fights are interlinked. Our solidarity is unifying, Justice for one is justice for all.

We must confront the platforms of hate.

The fascists of old marched physically. The fascists of today also march digitally and ideologically. The extremist networks of the internet, of algorithms that amplify division, of political funding from opaque sources, these are the battlegrounds now.

Fighting for a New Deal for Workers.

Delivering dignity, security, and respect at work, and tackling the economic inequality that breeds division and resentment has to be a number one priority. That's why it's so important that this Labour government delivers its Employment Rights Bill in full and implements new rights quickly. Poll after poll shows that Reform-leaning voters overwhelmingly back stronger rights at work. They want and expect the government to deliver on its manifesto pledge of the biggest workers' rights upgrade in a generation. Ministers now need to get on with it, and make sure working class people feel tangible benefits in their lives as soon as possible.

On this anniversary, the TUC recommits to:

Supporting unions and offering training that empowers members and reps to challenge racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hatred in the workplace and in the community.

Collaborating with anti-racist organisations, progressive faith groups, community groups and others to defend those under threat.

Keeping alive the memory and meaning of Cable Street, especially for younger generations, through education, commemoration and storytelling.

To younger activists, students, new union members and community leaders: you inherit a legacy of courage and sacrifice. You also inherit responsibility. The world you inherit is more connected, more dynamic and no less contested.

So let Cable Street be more than a memory. Let it be a call. A call to organise. A call to act. A call to refuse to accept that hate, division or bigotry are inevitable.