Monday 10 September 2018

The Battle of Stockton, 1933


Today I commemorate the Battle of Stockton when anti-fascist demonstrators drove out  of this town members of the British Union oF fascists.
In the 1930's Oswald Mosley's party saw deprived areas experiencing mass unemployment and acute poverty, their planned march was an early attempt to rally support and recruits in depressed areas. Stockton  was an ideal town for the BUF to target as it was  particularly hard hit  by the 1930 Great Depression.In Germany, similar towns had fallen under the sway of the Nazis so the BUF had expected to be greeted with a warm welcome.
But as their leader, Captain Vincent Collier, tried to speak from the steps of the Market Cross, outside the grand town hall, he and his fellow fascists  numbering around 100 were met with a wave of resistance, their leaders voice was  drowned out and spat at, greeted by more than two thousand local people who had been waiting for them.
As sticks and stones rained down on the fascists  and fighting between the BUF  and the people of Stockton ensued, as  the Northern Echo and other local press. reported at the time the use of weapons being wielded by both sides. Wooden staves and pickaxe handles, and more lethally, potatoes into which razor blades had been studded to be thrown at the fascists.The end result being that the fascists were forced to flee and driven out of town, and never returned.
Local people had nor been to slow to see the analogies between what had happened on the streets of Stockton and what was occurring in the towns and cities of Germany. The Stockton  events had occurred after all had occurred a mere eight months after Hitler had seized the German Chancerllorship, and at the same time as the trial and execution of the hapless Van Lubbe, the man accused of starting the Reichstag fire, an event which conveniently allowed Hitler to put into law draconian emergency decrees which effectively  turned Germany into a armed dictatorship, and fascist state.
Stockton was by no means unique in attracting the attention of fascist forces during the pre-war years. But unlike the now legendary Battle of Cable Street in London https://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.com/2015/10/they-shall-not-pass-battle-for-cable.htm 
which took place 3 years later is now largely forgotten. But as fascism and fascists, and their forces of darkness are  still unfortunately with us, and are on the rise, let us proudly remember the people of Stockton  who stopped them in their paths. Together united we can repel them again. We will continue what our Grandfathers did ,a fight that has never finished. They shall not pass / No Pasaran..

The Young 'uns -  The Battle of Stockton

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