In this work Allin depicts the Anti-Fascist rally known as the 'Battle of Cable Street', which took place in East London in 1936, in which the East End community united to protest against the British Union of Fascists 'Blackshirts' led by Oswald Mosley. The scene, at Gardiners' Corner, shows thousands of protestors, waving banners worded with slogans such as 'They Shall Not Pass', 'East End Unite', and 'No Nazis Here'. Uniformed policemen, some on horseback, prevent them from passing by barricading them with rows of furniture. There is an almost overwhelming sense of community and togetherness. It depicts thousands of people including local Jewish, communist, socialist, anarchist, and Irish groups, uniting as one in the battle against Fascism. The print was made in 1975, at a time when many Jewish people had left, or were leaving the East End for the suburbs. The artist nostalgically recalls a period from the past when a tight community was living together, sharing aims and sentiments, a reminder of the era when a thriving Jewish community, rich in culture and tradition, resided in East London.
Interstices: Discovering the Ben Uri Collection, Curated by René Gimpel
Forthcoming exhibition
