Throughout the 1930s, Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts increased their campaign against the Jewish community, particularly in London’s East End. As their campaign became more overtly anti-Semitic the Jewish community debated how to deal with the Fascist threat, building their own defence organisations, culminating in the Battle of Cable Street when more than 100,000 Jews, Irish and others came out to stop Mosley marching into the East End.

David Rosenberg leads guided walks round the East End. He has written several articles on history and current affairs for Channel 4 websites. He is a freelance contributor to the Times Educational Supplement, Time Out and New Statesman. He is an active member of the National Union of Teachers. His previous books include Daily Racism: The Press and Black People in Britain (co-authored with Paul Gordon).