On 31st July 1962, violence broke out at a political rally in London's East End after former fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley was assaulted while addressing supporters.
Mosley, who had led the British Union of Fascists (BUF) during the 1930s, was attempting to re-establish a political presence through the Union Movement, a party he founded after the Second World War.
The rally took place in an area closely associated with the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, where thousands of local residents, trade unionists, Jewish organisations and anti-fascist demonstrators had opposed a planned march by the British Union of Fascists.
As Mosley addressed supporters on 31st July 1962, disorder broke out among crowds gathered at the event. During the disturbance, he was assaulted before police intervened to restore order. Several arrests were reported as officers separated supporters and protesters.
The incident reflected the deep divisions that continued to surround Mosley more than two decades after the Second World War. Although he attempted a political comeback during the late 1950s and early 1960s, his campaigns attracted significant public opposition and failed to achieve any electoral success.
Today, the events serve as a reminder of the political tensions that surrounded attempts to revive fascist movements in post-war Britain, particularly in East London, where memories of opposition to fascism remained strong.
Sir Oswald Mosley died in 1980 at the age of 84, and his political organisations never regained the influence they had briefly held before the outbreak of the Second World War.