our reporter about pre-war anti-fascist struggles.
When did you first meet the blackshirts? In the carly thirties. They came down to ibe Labour Exchange distributing leafles which blamed the Jews and ine reds tor cause unemployment.
What else did the fascists do?
They daubed fascist sogans all over the city - this made them appear more numerous than they really were, Leeds had a very large Jewish population. There so they concenttated on anti-Jewish prop were not big enough to take on the meetings of the left and smash them up. COULD THIS BES ODOU LEUSL When the meeting caded they would follow you home. Then thay would either beat you up or Job bricks irouen your singaw win a warous attached. Sometimes 1 personsily could not get out of the house for day's until SOME CONTES COHE CHIE A CHERE me through their gangs at the cad of the strict.
This tactic drove a number of poople out of the Labour Party, particularly the young people. What did the left do!
LOUT THEY SOON WAS DO TELL the British Union of Fascists with ridicule, or enore them completely. Their favourite remark was Wiew wil die a natural death. The Labour League of Youth were mach more on toe coll aDen too Castists sarca bokling moetings in the centre of the city the Communist Party also moved into CALLAH There was a united front of the Cl, the Lemoloved Workers Movement and the alahour Laurue of Youth wudt neverler a was no black community like thure is now, Tasst meeting so uncranenged. the staurs Council in Loods was split down the middle over this.
when the lassisis claned s north of Fra land rally with Mosley speaking. This was due to take pluot on Halbeck Moor, Leeds.
About 2000 turned up. The left organised a comer demonstration and topsinue or as marched down nomestic Street and smashed up dieir rally. The Jewish Defence The fascists and sashed up their PA system with rocks, Ican rememher very tow of us pot arrealed The Bur noice had more or loss put paid to them. We did the same to them in Manchester and Newcastle. The chased them all over the puse.
ough for a car officers through the East End.
Red Lion Square was nothing new!
What was the social composition of the fascises?
ed working class.
Democratic Freedom Movement (a bey say is too 'liberal"| The NDEM Is often casious of the more successiul working class Kids. In this respect the NDFM could become more of a threat than the BUF was in Leeds.
have to learn from the struggles of the thirties?
With the Nh and NDF Mit is not just a mutter of numbers it is a matter of The high point came in the mid-thirties Look at Haly for uxample. If it is not nip live to regret it I doubt very much if it will do so unless WEILUEBODUC CAL MODIASE CUI foross to stop them finst.
is producing a pamphlet tracing the history of fascam in Leeds during the thirties and the fight against it. Realers with material relevant to this period, please seed to 156 Moodhouse Lane, Leeds 2. Orders for pumphlet also to that address.
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George Cummings is a veteran of the fight against Mosley's blackshirts in Leeds. George, now a member of the district committee of AUEW spoke to