Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf
Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf
Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf
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YOUTH AGAINST FASCISM<br />
Mosley decided to add a greater deal of respectability to his movement by courting<br />
potential upper and middle class supporters through mass rallies in 1934. At a large rally<br />
in Olympia, located in a predominately Jewish area of London's east end, the BUF<br />
organized an evening that they asserted would "be a landmark, not only in the history of<br />
fascism, but in the history of Britain." 80<br />
On June 7, 1934 Mosley's Olympia rally took place with over 12,000 in attendance<br />
including "MPs, peers, diplomats, big businessmen and leading journalists." 81 Mosley's<br />
Olympia rally was intended to court the support of "respectable" social elements, but<br />
communist directed counter-initiatives produced a very different result. The London<br />
branches of the YCL issued "special invitations" to branches of the Labour League of<br />
<strong>Youth</strong> and the ILP Guild of <strong>Youth</strong> to coordinate militant actions to disrupt the Olympia<br />
rally. 82 Outside of the rally over 10,000 antifascists demonstrated against Mosley's event,<br />
often getting in random violent skirmishes with the police. Inside the rally several<br />
hundred antifascists began disrupting Mosley's speech. Mosley began directing Blackshirt<br />
stewards to violently eject anyone who spoke up during the meeting.<br />
The violent outbursts of Mosley's Blackshirts resulted in mass public revulsion against<br />
his movement. Many of the Tory MP's who were present made public statements condemning<br />
BUF violence as "wholly unnecessary," contending they had been "appalled by<br />
the brutal conduct of the Fascists." 83 After the Olympia rally the membership base of the<br />
BUF quickly dropped from 40,000 to 5,000 and Mosley lost the vital public support of<br />
Lord Rothermere.<br />
After Olympia John Gollan, the National Secretary of the YCLGB, questioned if different<br />
anti-fascist tactics would be more effective in the future. The new Public Order<br />
legislation of the National Government targeted both communists and the BUF. 84 The<br />
YCL contended that the National Government "seemed to fear bolshevism more than the<br />
Nazi terror." 85 In order to prevent further government actions being taken against the<br />
communists, many urged the redirection of youth anti-fascist militancy into more constructive<br />
forms. John Gollan expressed that in the future "the way to develop the campaign<br />
against fascism was in the town meeting hall, the churches, and the councilmen's<br />
offices – not in the streets." 86<br />
Gollan reflected on new anti-fascist strategies in his speech at the Sixth World Congress<br />
of the YCI. Gollan suggested the most effective way to counter British fascism and<br />
the policies of the National Government was to focus YCL activities on the youth peace<br />
movement. The British YCL needed to adapt the broad contours of the Popular Front to<br />
specific British conditions:<br />
This Congress has heard how such wide movements are developing in France and America.<br />
Our Congress, however, in our opinion, must guard against any tendencies to automatically<br />
transfer the experiences of these countries to every other country. The wide<br />
front of the young generation must be built in each country around burning, vital interests,<br />
that really affect millions of youth, that all the youth are discussing. Undoubtedly,<br />
that question in England is Peace.... The British <strong>Youth</strong> Organizations are the most pow-<br />
48